Ruben Amorim called Noussair Mazraoui the “future of the club” last season, and while he might not be at the club anymore, the future is looking secure with Yuel Helafu in the youth ranks.
Noussair Mazraoui quickly endeared himself to Man Utd despite not being the most athletic “monster” profile naturally associated with Premier League full-backs.
It’s because his versatility, quality on the ball, footballing IQ, and professionalism make him the complete package, more than making up for his lack of pure athleticism.
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Man Utd’s academy might just have the next Mazraoui waiting in the wings, because he has been fast-tracked rapidly by the club since joining at the start of the 2025/26 season.
Who is Yuel Helafu?
Imagine playing a game against Man Utd’s developmental side with your grassroots team as the club continues on its merry way.
That grassroots team is just a step in the development of youngsters already signed with Man Utd, but for Yuel Helafu, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Helafu played out of his skin, impressing Man Utd so much that he was immediately signed by the club to play for their U18s side.
At 17 and playing as a right-back, it took him less than six months to already be playing for the U21s, as well as get called up to senior team training under both Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick.
His debut for the U21s side was a difficult one, since debuts don’t come more difficult than playing against professional footballers in League One.
Still, he managed to get out of the game with credit to his name despite a 5-2 loss for the U21s against Barnsley in October 2025.
Shea Lacey shone in that game to continue his own rise, but Helafu hasn’t done his stock any harm either since that game, shining in academy football to an extent that even United’s coaches were caught off guard.
Helafu managed all this despite barely having any synergy with his academy teammates, joining a professional structure in July of 2025.
His ceiling and playing style could end up being incredible.
Helafu shows shades of Noussair Mazraoui
Helafu’s tactical understanding, despite limited professional football experience, belies his age, and his ability to invert into midfield and understand spaces reminds one of Mazraoui.
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He is equally capable of overlapping and creating overloads out wide, which speaks to his tactical versatility, another skill that likens him to Mazraoui.
Remarkably, he can also play as a left-back, with his two-footedness making him an asset on both wings, a quality that completes a triple set of similarities to the Moroccan.
The team reverting to a back-four system after Ruben Amorim’s sacking lends perfectly to his skill set, since he’s more silky than explosive, which could have been a hindrance to his development as a wing-back.
A key part of Mazraoui’s success, however, has also been his professionalism and his approach to the game, which is where Helafu will have to prove he’s made of the right stuff.
Now that he is in a proper footballing environment, that will be the factor that decides whether he can make good on his potential.
For now, he has stepped up to the challenge of joining Man Utd extremely well, and the club have rewarded him in return by fast-tracking him to ensure he continues improving.
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