Luke Shaw successor? Manchester United youngsters who could save club millions in the transfer market in 2025

Manchester United have a rich history when it comes to promoting academy players to the first-team.

In the past two years alone, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have become important senior players and there is excitement about the current crop of youngsters at the club and what they could achieve going into 2025.

Here, Standard Sport takes a look at three Man Utd youngsters to keep an eye on in 2025…

Harry Amass

Manchester United’s left-back dilemma has been well documented in recent seasons. Luke Shaw cannot seem to stay fit and earlier this month suffered a fresh new muscular injury, unrelated to his ongoing calf problem, set to rule him out for a few weeks.

However good Shaw is, he has proven he is not the long-term solution. Noussair Mazraoui has done well since signing, but United will eventually need a second option on that flank.

The answer could well be 17-year-old Harry Amass, who has impressed in United’s youth system and clearly has time on his side.

He is also very adept as a left wing-back, handy in the current 3-4-3 system favoured by Ruben Amorim which sees wing-backs used rather than conventional full-backs.

Toby Collyer

Collyer was the biggest star of United’s pre-season tour, and has made three senior appearances for the Red Devils to date.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been named on the bench for three of the club’s Europa League games this season, and also made the bench for the heavy defeat to Bournemouth this month.

The defensive midfielder stepped up in his international career as well, in 2024, becoming an England Under-20 player.

Collyer has made a name for himself as a calm and composed defensive midfielder with mature decision-making when picking the right pass. The next step could be a loan away from United.

Ethan Wheatley

Stockport-born Wheatley is still just 18 but is an England Under-19 international and has made four appearances for the Red Devils at senior level, with three of those coming in the Premier League.

The striker, who stands at more than 6 ft 1, has impressed many within United with his progress in the club’s academy in recent years.

For the club’s Under-21s in the Premier League 2 this season, Wheatley has scored an impressive six goals in eight games, including a decisive hat-trick in a 5-3 win at Norwich City in September.