It is often clear who Manchester United internally views as the elite prospects, based on who is handed professional contracts at an early stage.
Not all gifted players from the Manchester United academy receive their professional contracts at the age of 17; some must wait until they are slightly older before the club offers them a contract.
However, for the most exceptional talents, Manchester United is known to secure their contracts promptly upon turning 17 to prevent them from being acquired by rival clubs. Kobbie Mainoo signed his professional contract at 17, as did Alejandro Garnacho, and more recently, the promising Amir Ibragimov was also granted a professional deal at the age of 17.
This reflects the club’s strong confidence in the player’s abilities and their firm belief that he will join the ranks of the 254 academy graduates to date. Recently, Manchester United has secured another outstanding talent with a long-term professional contract.
Bendito Mantato signs professional contract with Manchester United
Currently, within the academy, few players are as promising and likely to transition to first team football as Bendito Mantato. Regarded as one of the top talents in the nation, Mantato has been persistently approaching the first-team level under the guidance of Ruben Amorim, and the club has now expressed its full support for him.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Mantato has recently signed his first professional contract with United, just three months after celebrating his 17th birthday. Recognized as an elite talent, he has turned down offers from Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Brighton over the past year before deciding to commit to United.
This agreement will keep Mantato at United until 2029, by which time he may have emerged as a star player, making the club’s option for an additional year particularly advantageous.
Bendito Mantato should be Manchester United’s 255th academy graduate
Despite facing some injury issues, Mantato has had an outstanding season, effortlessly dominating U18 football and showcasing his exceptional talent as he transitions to U21 football. Earlier this season, it was reported that Amorim intended to give Mantato his first-team debut, and he appears to be in a favorable position to do so, having been included on the bench for the important match in Bilbao last week.
Mantato has the potential to become Amorim’s own Geovany Quenda in the right wing-back role, especially after Chelsea secured a pre-agreement to sign the prodigy from Sporting CP for 2026. Eventually, Amorim is likely to introduce Mantato into the league, and it is probable that he will excel. Mantato is physically prepared for this advancement and is thus a strong candidate to become the 255th graduate of the academy.
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