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Manchester United have a Tahith Chong decision to make

Some academy players quickly become more unforgettable than others, and when the bushy haired afroed Tahith Chong joined Manchester United back in 2016, he was always going to be a figure that stuck in the minds of supporters.

Even those who aren’t avid watchers of the Red Devils’ academy would recognise the Dutch youngster on the streets, but the attention soon diverted from his hair to his performances on the field.

Since arriving at the club, Chong has always stood out at youth level, winning the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year in 2018 and the the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year in 2019. United went all out for the player back in 2016, beating the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea to his signature, as he always looked a class above those in his age group – as now justified through such awards.

Now at 20-years-of-age, he needs to make the next step and enter a senior first-team setup. He has clearly outgrown the U23 level, contributing to 13 goals in just 10 games for the reserves this season.

Such opportunities don’t seem too close to home though. Chong only has thirty-four Premier League minutes under his belt this campaign, whilst also failing to make the squad for the fifth-round FA Cup trip to Derby. He has been granted a chance in the Europa League, a competition utilised by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to test academy players, where the winger has two assists in five appearances.

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Given the permanent integration of fellow graduates Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood into the first-team squad though, Chong will justly be disappointed at his lack of game-time this season, particularly given United’s lack of options down the right-flank.

It will only become tougher next season too, if the club acquire their top target in Jadon Sancho. This would push Daniel James to the bench to become an impact player, and with Greenwood’s versatility, an opening on the right is diminished even further for Chong. Over on the left, the team’s top scorer in Marcus Rashford is the first name on the team-sheet, with Anthony Martial offering cover in this area if needed too.

The most obvious answer no doubt lies with a loan move, something the club have implanted more prominently into their youth setup over the past couple of seasons. Dean Henderson and Axel Tuanzebe used the scheme to their advantage, with United now favouring such moves for players after they spend a year with the reserves.

Recently, the Manchester Evening News reported that the likes of James Garner and Dylan Levitt are poised for loan moves – figures in a similar position to Chong himself. However, there has been a lack of noise in the news regarding the Dutchman. Is he being identified as a squad backup, or are the club just taking their time to evaluate his options?

Given their pragmatic handling of youngsters, we can trust that the most suited direction for the player will be taken. A huge twelve months lies ahead for the 20-year-old though, as he enters a pivotal and somewhat defining stage of his career.

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