United Should Follow the Chelsea Model: Loan
Wikipedia
Chelsea are clearly onto something with their strategy to player development. The so called "Loan Army" strategy is clearly working over there. Tammy Abraham spent the season on loan at Aston Villa. Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount were on loan playing for Lampard at Chelsea. Nathan Ake was loaned out several times and is a pretty good player at Bournemouth even if he didn't quite make the grade with the blues. Andreas Christensen spent significant time on loan at Borrusia Monchengladbach. It's a formula that clearly worked.
Manchester United have not done nearly enough of this. In fact, two of the better players to come through the academy are the ones who did. Axel Tuanzebe took a massive leap forward and is now third choice at the club for the CB position and by next season may be a regular after having an impressive loan spell alongside Abraham at Aston Villa last season. Villa even wanted him back, but this is one I have no opposition to United deciding to keep him because he is in fact the third choice. The other one is Dean Henderson, the Sheffield United goalkeeper who won keeper of the season in the Championship last season. It was a great move to let him go back on loan for this season considering United are in good shape at the position. He also should get extremely valuable experience being in the premier league this season. He has made some big mistakes but at his age (22) he's still young enough to learn from his mistakes and make the grade in the long run.
But what about all these other young players at United that are gaining little value while they sit on the bench at United now. Angel Gomes was teammates with Jadon Sancho on the England U-17 team that won the world cup in 2017. A lot has changed over 2 years as Gomes still hasn't made a U21 appearance, let alone a senior debut. Jadon Sancho made the daring move to leave City and join Borrusia Dortmund and look at how his fortunes have changed. Gomes has never left United even on loan. How is he better off staying at the club vs. getting the experience of playing week in and week out on loan somewhere?
Tahith Chong is another. Like Gomes, he is just 19 still and he is a Netherlands U-21 international. But he too has played just 4 games in the senior United team. He too would gain great experience by going out on loan. 18 year old James Garner made his United debut against Partizan Belgrade Thursday but he too at his age, would be better off going out on loan. I would even send Mason Greenwood out on loan for at least half a season. The pressure of being counted on at United to be the goalscorer at his age could have consequences. He is a real prospect no doubt. He has already made an England U-21 debut before he even turned 18. But the senior United team need someone who can cope with the pressure of being the striker for this club regularly. Though I'll agree it's debatable that the first team need him.
Mason Greenwood, Wikipedia
United should fix up their first team and let some of these players go out on loan where they will get week in and week out playing time for a club who need them. It worked for Chelsea very well. The only ones I'd argue about are that Greenwood may be important enough to have around and Brandon Williams looks good enough to compete with Luke Shaw. Tuanzebe I have no doubt is good enough to stay. Everyone else? Let them play somewhere. They're still young enough that it isn't too late.