Manchester United have signed the highly-rated American teenager Matthew Olosunde after he received international clearance to join up with the squad last week. Although the deal was finalized January 29, Manchester United did not announce it until Friday once the paperwork went through.
U18s: There's a new name in the #mufc squad tonight... read more about our latest arrival, Matthew Olosunde: https://t.co/YrigKlLjkW
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2016
The 18-year-old defender was a product of the New York Red Bulls academy system — the same system that produced Matt Miazga — before he quit to go to college instead. He was recruited to the Duke University team but Manchester United scooped him up before he got a chance to play there.
Photo: @matt_olosunde | Twitter
Olosunde impressed United academy coaches during a trial in July of 2015. He has 30 appearances for the US U-17s and spent the 2014/15 season with the IMG Academy, whose notable alumni include Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan and Jozy Altidore.
Olosunde (right) with US U-17's after qualifying for the World Cup in Chile. Photo: @matt_olosunde | Twitter
He is primarily a right back but has experience as a center defensive midfielder and at center back, but his roots as a winger make him more favorable playing as a full back.
A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Matthew Olosunde has been favorably compared by Duke head coach John Kerr to Dani Alves, who cited his incredible recovery pace, physicality and eagerness to get forward.
Olosunde joins a number of promising American teenagers in Europe, with the likes of Matt Miazga, Christian Pulisic and Julian Green already plying their trade overseas. We can only hope that he doesn't follow in the footsteps of fellow IMG graduate Jonathon Spector, who played eight times for United before being moved on.
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Olosunde will most likely be playing at the academy level for the near future, but given United's injury problems and Louis Van Gaal's knack for handing debuts to youngsters, it may not be long before we see Olosunde in a United shirt at Old Trafford. He'd be the first American to do so since a certain Tim Howard.
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