Young Manchester United talent Hannibal Mejbri could have a big decision to make this summer regarding his future.
The 19-year-old may have to go out on loan next season in order to get first-team football, but this depends on whether United’s new manager Erik ten Hag wants to involve the midfielder in the first team.
Who Is Manchester United Talent Hannibal Mejbri?
Youngster Joined the Red Devils in 2019
Born in Ivry-sur-Seine, suburban Paris, Mejbri spent his early years in the academies of Paris FC, Athletic Club de Boulogne-Billancourt and Monaco.
In 2019, Manchester United announced they had signed the then 16-year-old for £5 million. Mejbri played in United’s youth ranks before making his first-team debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2020/21 season.
Despite being born in France and playing for the country at youth level, Hannibal opted to represent Tunisia, the nation of his parents’ birth. He made his debut for Tunisia against DR Congo on June 5, 2021.
Known for his ball-carrying abilities and silky skills, the midfielder gained a lot of attention after his impressive performances for Tunisia at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Mejbri started in all five of Tunisia’s games as they reached the final of the tournament. He put in two man-of-the-match performances against Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Former Manchester United player Nicky Butt, who was also head of youth development at the Red Devils until March 2021, had lots of praise for Mejbri. Speaking to Manchester Evening News in 2020, Butt said: “Leaders are always looked at like a Roy Keane, a Steve Bruce, a Bryan Robson, those kinds of verbal, real aggression, real leaders.
“And then you’ve got leaders like Paul Scholes or David Beckham or Ryan Giggs, who were quiet but really led by example of how they play and how they work hard.
“We’ve got the old-fashioned leaders, if you like, who are going to talk to the players and drive the team. Hannibal is a leader. The way he plays his football is 100mph, he’s non-stop running up and down.”
Is There a First-Team Spot for Hannibal?
Whether Erik ten Hag will want Hannibal involved in the first team next season will have to be seen. The midfielder made a good impression on many United fans during their 4-0 loss against Liverpool last week.
The Manchester United talent came on for the last five minutes against Jürgen Klopp’s team. Gary Neville praised his effort and aggression in such an important match.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former United captain said: “I erred on to the slightly unprofessional side of commentary tonight when I said that the kid (Mejbri) to be fair I was proud of him because he was going around trying to top people and trying to kick people.
“But he demonstrated something, he showed something. He didn’t like the idea of Liverpool, at Anfield, passing it around him and the idea of Liverpool taking the mick out of him and his teammates. At least he demonstrated something. I am not saying it is brilliant because he could have hurt the Liverpool players, but as a Manchester United fan you can respond to that.”
With Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matić all likely to be departing Old Trafford this summer, maybe this summer will be the time for Hannibal to show the club what he can do.
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