Manchester United fans came close to seeing Hannibal in action for the first team on Friday night.
The 19-year-old was on the bench against Middlesbrough, and with United cruising at 1-0 up, another goal or two may have seen Ralf Rangnick bring him on. Instead United conceded, and ‘safer’ substitutes like Juan Mata were turned to instead.
Hannibal continued to train with Manchester United’s first team this week, although he did not make the bench for the game at Turf Moor. Considering the physical battle Burnley often pose, it probably was not the right game for him in any case.
The teenager has caught Ralf Rangnick’s eye after featuring for Tunisia at international level. The interim boss told the club website he was bringing him into the first team squad on a permanent basis.
The challenge for Hannibal is where he fit in. He can play in a variety of positions in attack and midfield. For the under-23s he has played everywhere from a ‘false nine’, to attacking midfield, central midfield, to winger.
Tunisian Football Federation sporting director Mohamed Slim Ben Othman has a clear idea about where Hannibal is best.
Othman told The Athletic: “He can play in a lot of positions: he can be a playmaker, he can be a regista (deep-lying playmaker), he can be a defensive midfielder, he can be a winger… but for me, his best position is central midfield.
“He likes to be the player who can organise and coordinate his team. He has big physical abilities and is very selfless despite his large technical qualities.
“I see him as a central midfielder — similar to Luka Modric. He is someone with a big potential in this position and I think that even Manchester United see this and are trying to improve him as a box-to-box player. I see him like Paul Pogba in this role for his club. I hope that he will be happy in this position.”
United have high hopes for Hannibal and it would be an ideal situation to have a player capable of stepping into Paul Pogba’s shoes when the Frenchman’s contract running out in June.
Hannibal’s best performance in central midfield for the under-23s came in the EFL Trophy earlier this year, playing up against a senior side in Lincoln City.
In the 90 minutes he managed 116 touches, won 16 duels, made seven successful dribbles, and completed 87 per cent of his passes. He also made five tackles, three interceptions, and won four free-kicks. To top it off he also provided an assist. [numbers via SofaScore].
It won’t be instant, but United clearly have an eye on integrating Hannibal into the first team this season. With Donny van de Beek out on loan, there is an extra central midfield slot available, in an already weak area of the team.
Living up to Luka Modric and Paul Pogba’s ability is a big ask. Hannibal already has the passing range, and if he can bring his A-game to training, then he could soon follow Anthony Elanga in becoming a first team regular.
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