There was one surprise late exit from Manchester United towards the transfer deadline. Dillon Hoogewerf left the club after two-and-a-half years.
Hoogewerf became the only player to leave United permanently in the window, leaving to join German club Borussia Moenchengladbach.
This came as a little bit of a surprise, but it is also a smart move for the young forward, who has not kicked on enough this season as he might have hoped.
Hoogewerf a bright young talent
United signed Hoogewerf from Ajax in 2019 when he was just 16. He was building a little momentum before the lockdown, scoring three goals in three FA Youth Cup games to reach the semi-finals.
When the 2020/21 season began, Hoogewerf found himself competing in the under-18s with new arrivals Joe Hugill, Charlie McNeill and Alejandro Garnacho.
And after a slow start, he ended the season in fantastic form, striking up a lethal partnership with Charlie McNeill. He also stepped up to the under-23s.
He had 24 goal contributions last season in the academy. 12 goals for the under-18s in 2020/21, plus 11 assists, and a further assist for the under-23s.
Hoogewerf is a very bright talent, one who can play as a striker, but is at his best dropping deep to receive the ball and run at defenders.
He has a low centre of gravity combined with a big leap, scoring a number of headed goals. A good dribbler with a fierce shot, Hoogwerf has a bit of everything.
And yet despite that, he was unable to really kick on this past season for the under-23s and time was working against him.
Move in player’s interests
Not everybody can make it at Manchester United, and Hoogewerf turns 19 at the end of this month. He had not yet been called to train with the first team nor feature in pre-season games, opportunities which had been granted to both Charlie McNeill and Joe Hugill.
He had been used irregularly this season, starting six games in all competitions for the under-23s, EFL Trophy and UEFA Youth League. A further nine appearances had come from the bench.
He has two goals and one assist, with his most recent goal contribution back in September.
There was a chance Hoogewerf would have grown into the season and kicked on at under-23 level like he did for the under-18s last season.
But rather than wait and see, United have taken a decision to move on, and it is probably in Hoogewerf’s interests as the jump to the first team may have been an insurmountable one.
Perhaps United should have sent him out on loan in the summer to an Eredivisie side to see how he developed. That chance has gone now, and Hoogewerf gets the chance to move on in Germany.
He will join Moenchengladbach’s development squad initially and work his way up. He is the kind of technical player who could really thrive in the Bundesliga.
It would not be a surprise if he goes onto make United look silly in a few years time. Let’s hope that if he does, the club inserted a buy-back clause into the deal.
- Every former Man Utd player to play in MLS after Eric Bailly’s latest move
- Jason Wilcox has just shown why Amorim had to be sacked with pointed praise for Michael Carrick
- Newcastle’s £46m rejected bid proves that Man Utd have completed the best deal of the summer
- Michael Carrick might have provided a hint on Patrick Dorgu plans as transfer priority becomes clear
- Who is Tynan Thompson? Exciting Spurs wonderkid linked with move to Man Utd
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
