Marcus Rashford seems to be edging closer to leaving Manchester United.
Wythenshawe's best might be motivated by Scott McTominay's achievements at Napoli, Angel Gomes' England call-ups following outstanding performances at Lille, or Paul Pogba's rise to stardom at Juventus, an era long past. Those individuals have demonstrated that there can be a future beyond Old Trafford for former Carrington trainees.
Not every Manchester United academy graduate achieved success at other clubs. We've found seven examples of homegrown players who faltered after leaving the club.
Jesse Lingard
Lingard made over 200 appearances for his hometown club, and his career undoubtedly reached its pinnacle with the match-winner in Manchester United's 2016 FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace.
He arguably never looked better than during his impressive half-season loan stint at West Ham in 2021, when he scored nine goals in just 16 Premier League appearances for the club.
The standout performance at the London Stadium made him appear to have all the skills to excel elsewhere, but his career stagnated upon his return to his parent club, where he was relegated to a bench warmer and watched his contract expire unused.
He reportedly turned down a permanent return to West Ham because of a more financially attractive offer from Nottingham Forest, but he was one of several players who failed to make any notable impression as part of the newly-promoted club's uncoordinated and haphazard transfer strategy.
After just one season at the City Ground, Lingard spent around seven months scouting potential clubs before ultimately selecting the unconventional FC Seoul as his next destination.
Willy Kambwala
*So far.
We're not giving up on Kambwala just yet. He still has time ahead of him to be a success at the Ceramica.
It's now just half a year into the 20-year-old's first season outside of Old Trafford, and even in the midst of Manchester United's woeful 2023-24 season he looked promising in his initial appearances.
The club's decision to sell for an estimated €11.5 million may not seem like a bad deal at this point in time. Kambwala's transition to Villarreal has not gotten off to a good start; he has only made two appearances in La Liga and was given a straight red card in one of those games. Ouch.
Brandon Williams
We often refer to a player as a flop when they fail to get a card they are trying to catch, especially in games like poker or gin rummy. Yet could that,-under specific rules, possibly depend on the particular game, differentiate the handling of such a situation into hit or miss?
The fact that Williams has been a free agent for six months at this stage in his career indicates that his career hasn't progressed as expected, considering he was once considered a promising young player with great potential to become a United fan favorite, especially given his early impressive performances at left-back.
A 2021-22 loan with Norwich City did not spark his career, nor did a brief stint at their rivals Ipswich Town last season amidst off-field controversies that involved court claims he "inhaled laughing gas from balloons" before a high-speed car crash.
He's still only 24 and could yet achieve a promising future if he focuses and trains hard. But we have our misgivings.
Adnan Januzaj
This sentence might be a bit strong for the Belgian winger, who made more than a hundred appearances over the course of five seasons with Real Sociedad.
He had his standout moments during his time in the Basque Country and was part of the team that prevailed in the historic 2020 Copa del Rey final against local rivals Athletic Club, although he did not make an appearance off the bench in the final.
Ultimately, though, Januzaj's post-United career gives us an overwhelming feeling of 'meh'. Did we envision him performing thrillingly in his debut appearances at Old Trafford? Or was the media just desperate to find a shred of positivity in the brief David Moyes era?
Timothy Fosu-Mensah
We feel somewhat sorry for including the Dutchman, as he has encountered really terrible misfortune with injuries.
Bayer Leverkusen seemed to be a suitable match for Fosu-Mensah, who joined in January 2021 for a low transfer fee after struggling to make the team's first team at Old Trafford. However, a knee ligament injury just a few weeks after arriving ended his time in Germany.
In three and a half seasons, he made only 30 appearances for Leverkusen, including a grand total of zero in their historic double-winning campaign under Xabi Alonso last term. That meant he wasn't eligible for any medals before his quiet departure in the summer. Poor fellow.
According to recent reports, he has returned to training with Ajax. It would be an intriguing comeback story if he can make a successful return with his beloved childhood club.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
Manchester born left-back Borthwick-Jackson was a favourite of Louis van Gaal's, although maybe it was apparent to everyone else that he didn't quite have what it took to secure a spot at his hometown club, it was justifiable to assume that he would have had a reasonably decent enough career.
No, indeed not. The 27-year-old is currently without a club, having been released by Slask Wroclaw following a failed loan spell away to Ross County last season. That’s a bleak statement, isn’t it?
Scott Wootton
Going back to the late Fergie era, we can include Wootton in the category of players who would have been suitable for other clubs.
The player joined his former rivals Leeds United in 2013 after he was released but had a difficult time at Elland Road during their period of average performance in the second tier before the arrival of Bielsa.
After departing from Leeds, Wootton persisted in his quest to secure a lucrative career, playing for clubs within the lower divisions of the Football League, including MK Dons, Plymouth, Wigan Athletic, and Morecambe, before transferring to the Australian A-League team Wellington Phoenix in 2013.
