It's not all doom and gloom for Manchester United. Despite their poor start to the season, two of their young players have been recognised as players to watch for the future. In other words, two Manchester United players have been nominated for the 2024 Kopa Trophy.
The 2024 Kopa Trophy is a Ballon d'Or recognised award, which solely chooses from players under the age of 21. Essentially, it is an award for the best worldwide player who ages under 21 years old.
Under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United are building for the future. Whether or not Ten Hag is still the manager for the long-term remains to be seen, but he has set some nice foundations going forward with young players growing in confidence under him.
Two Manchester United players nominated for 2024 Kopa Trophy
1. Kobbie Mainoo
The first Manchester United player to be nominated for the 2024 Kopa Trophy is Kobbie Mainoo. The 19-year-old has been making great strides towards stardom, both for Manchester United and England.
Domestically, Kobbie Mainoo has become a mainstay in the Manchester United team, despite still being a teenager. Mainoo starred for Manchester United throughout 2024, including key performances at Wembley Stadium, both times against Manchester City. He even scored and was awarded Man of the Match in the FA Cup final.
For England, Kobbie Mainoo turned heads. He played in the midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, two of the best players in the world. He didn't put a foot wrong and helped England to reach the EURO 2024 final.
2. Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho had a super 2024. He won the FA Cup (scoring in the final), the Copa America and he was even handed the Goal of the Season award in the Premier League. Albeit, he scored THE goal in 2023, he was handed the award in 2024.
Garnacho is the best player at Man United currently, so it is frightening to consider how high his ceiling is. At just 20 years old, the Argentine plays with plenty of maturity and United are clearly a better team with him in it, than without him.
So, it is great to see that Garnacho's continued hard work has been recognised. He does have a great chance to win the Kopa Trophy and if the competition wasn't so strong, he would be a sure winner. Only time will tell, in that regard.