Manchester United have acquired the services of France Under-17 international Aliou Traore, a player who Jose Mourinho had kept an eye on for over nine months. The 16-year-old made his debut for the Red Devils’ U-18 team in a 3-2 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Manchester club has been long-term admirers of the ex-Paris Saint-Germain starlet and has been monitoring his development since his time in France.
The French wonder-kid had a trial with Manchester United earlier this year and found himself on the scoresheet in an Under-17 game against Burnley.
In an interview with MUTV, Manchester United U-18 boss Kieran McKenna declared, “Traore is a boy we’ve been looking at for a while. He is a really powerful midfielder who likes to run box to box. He is very strong technically and is improving all the time. He’s a nice man and his English is improving. He’s settling in well with the boys and has taken to the club really well.”
Aliou Traore has already earned seven international caps as a captain for the French U-16 national team and has scored two goals in the process. The Sarcelles born midfielder will turn 17 in January and be eligible for Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup campaign which is set to get underway on December 13. Here is a detailed SWOT analysis of the French U-16 international.
Strengths
The youngster has been likened to Manchester United midfielder, Paul Pogba. He has all the makings of a modern box-to-box midfielder with a keen eye for goal as evidenced by his goal-scoring record for the French U-16 national team. The ex-Paris Saint-Germain has incredible physical attributes with an ability to make late runs from the midfield with pace and power. Primarily right-footed, the new Manchester United starlet can come up with some entertaining celebrations as well.
Weaknesses
The youngster is far from being a final product. The 16-year-old still has to work on his ability to stay composed and finish in front of goal. His long-range accuracy has sometimes let him down but a few drills at Manchester United could potentially improve his shooting skills.
Opportunities
As mentioned above, all the hype surrounding his arrival at Manchester United suggest that he has the potential to be the next Paul Pogba at Old Trafford. However, he still needs to develop his game and catch the eye of Jose Mourinho who can potentially make him a future Premier League superstar.
Threats
The biggest threat for the youngster would be coping with the increasing expectations. If he can manage expectations well of playing for a big club like Manchester United, then the French starlet could fulfil his incredible potential at Old Trafford. However, the new arrivals of some of the best talent in world football can hamper his chances of making it to the first-team.
It remains to be seen how Aliou Traore copes with his new life at Manchester United. The 16-year-old is definitely a player to look out for in the future!
