Manchester United’s deadline day efforts to sign Louis Page were in vain as a deal collapsed over a reported £2m valuation.
Transfer deadline day was completely barren of any arrivals or departures for Manchester United, much to the frustration of the fanbase.
The only deal that was relatively close to going through was United’s interest in Louis Page from Leicester City, with talks held through the day before a deal was ultimately scrapped due to disagreements over the fee.
Leicester wanted more than £12m, but United weren’t willing to pay. Page then played for Leicester on deadline day, sealing the fact that the deal wasn’t going to go through.
However, there are winners from this decision at United.
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
United might revisit a deal for Page in 2027 if the club is as high on his talent as suggested.
However, no Page in the summer just past will be a big win for United’s existing academy midfield hopefuls.
Jim Thwaites, Cristian Orozco, and Tyler Fletcher would all have been immediate losers if Page had been signed, as he probably would have skipped them in the pecking order due to the fee and a desire for him to be a success.
All three are good enough in their own right to be knocking on the door of first-team involvement and playing minutes for United over the course of this season, and adding Page would only have hindered these three.
Thwaites, in particular, is probably offering the closest skillset to Page, and he is a talent Michael Carrick seems really high on, so signing a player to almost block his pathway would have been a bit illogical.
Nothing suggests that Page is better than these three, other than being a new shiny toy. While Jacob Devaney is another name who could already be above Page, having proven himself for two clubs in the Scottish Premiership.
Missing out on Page is far from the end of the world. United are blessed with numerous top talents in midfield right now, and he would have been a fine addition, but we have prospects who could potentially be even better.
United’s academy midfielders may get their first opportunities to impress at a first-team level as soon as this month.
United play Sabah in the Champions League and Brighton in the Carabao Cup, in both, the first-choice senior players shouldn’t be risked; therefore, turning to Fletcher, Thwaites, and Orozco could be on the cards.
They might not start, but it would be a surprise if none of the three were given a place in the squad or some minutes off the bench.
United have space for one academy midfielder to stake a claim and get opportunities this coming campaign, and it will be interesting to see who Carrick settles on.
