Isak Hansen-Aaroen has ideal long-term Manchester United mentor in Bruno Fernandes

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Manchester United have signed a number of exciting youngsters this summer. But one of the best could be 16-year-old Isak Hansen-Aaroen.

As confirmed by United’s official website, the attacking midfielder will move to Old Trafford subject to international clearance.

That comes after he made his senior debut for Tromso aged just 15: a statistic that speaks volumes for his innate talent.

This is no rash signing. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, United agreed a deal in principle to sign Hansen-Aaroen when he was just 14. However, they had to wait until the player’s 16th birthday to bring him to England.

While time will tell if the new United recruit ultimately moves into a striking role, he is currently seen as an attacking midfielder. And he may have the ideal long-term mentor waiting for him at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes has been a revelation since his £67.7million move (BBC).

It looks like the Portuguese has been at United for years rather than months. And he will be important off the pitch as well as on it.

Hansen-Aaroen will be keen to learn from a player of Fernandes’s quality and his presence could work wonders on the Norwegian prospect.

There are few players in Europe with the vision and end-product of United’s star man. Some of that can be taught and he should act as a mentor to the club’s next generation.

Planning for the future

While many United fans are frustrated by the club’s summer transfer business, the future looks a lot brighter after a month of smart academy additions.

This is only the beginning for Hansen-Aaroen and the next few years are going to be very much about learning in the shadows of stars.

That is no bad thing. After all, Fernandes has already shown that he has United DNA. It will be one of his jobs to instill that in the next generation.

Plenty of wonder-kids have fallen flat when the going gets tough. United will be hoping that Hansen-Aaroen is the real deal and continues his upward trajectory.

Skill, focus and belief will take him a long way. But guiding lights from the first-team could push him over the final few hurdles.

There is no better player for a young attacking midfielder to learn from than United’s Portuguese superstar. It will be interesting to see if they ever share the same field.

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