Manchester United’s senior team continues to limp through a dour Premier League campaign with their recent 2-2 draw at Goodison Park but the youth ranks offer hope.
Ineos have developed a strong young core at the academy level by recruiting from outside and empowering the youngsters already at the club.
The results are clear to see, with the U18s challenging Man City for the Premier League title and the best of U21s playing senior football on loan.
Ruben Amorim seems to have made Chido Obi a fixture of the senior team of late due to the underwhelming performances of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
It’s time to make another underperformer, Diogo Dalot, accountable by bringing through the 18-year-old assist machine Jaydan Kamason.
Diogo Dalot can be challenged by Jaydan Kamason
Diogo Dalot has been Amorim’s most reliable performer, either starting every game under him or coming on at half-time on the one occasion he didn’t start.
However, Dalot has been struggling for a long time now to just write it off as a bad run of form, with even his return to the right not proving to be fruitful.
Amorim’s reliance on him is borne out of necessity rather than choice since United don’t have another natural wing-back in the squad who can play on the right.
Enter Jaydan Kamason, the 18-year-old right-back in the youth ranks who’s unlocked another level to his game this season by adding an attacking flair.
Kamason laid on another assist in the U18s’ recent 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers, taking his tally to four in his last four games, continuing an upward trend in form and potential.
His recent run of form has made him the top assister among the whole U18s squad which, for a right-back, is mighty impressive, especially in the context of the senior team’s fullback struggles.
Jaydan Kamason’s Man Utd first-team prospects
Kamason’s recent purple patch has coincided with Dalot struggling immensely, hence this comparison, but Kamason needs to sustain it.
More importantly, he has to translate this success to the U21s team first, where he’s played 479 minutes but is yet to register an assist.
| Competition | Games | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
| U18 Premier League | 10 | 872 | 1 | 3 |
| FA Youth Cup | 3 | 270 | – | 2 |
| UEFA Youth League | 4 | 319 | – | 1 |
| Premier League 2 (U21) | 9 | 479 | – | – |
Granted, the U21s team is much weaker, since the players are generally loaned out to get senior football at that stage instead of playing U21s but Kamason needs to step it up.
This run of form will undoubtedly have put his name in Amorim’s ears and that’s the big first step. The next one is to impress in the U21s and take full advantage of the opportunity if he is invited to train with the first-team.
A good pre-season next time out and anything can happen.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
