Manchester United have reached an agreement with the representatives of teenage winger Noah Ajayi, who is set to sign professional terms with the club.
Manchester United have agreed to sign teenage winger Noah Ajayi to a professional contract, per Sky Sports. The 17-year-old had entered the final year of his scholarship agreement and is now set to commit his long-term future to the club.
Manchester United experienced significant academy turnover during the summer transfer window. The club lost talented prospects James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye to Arsenal, but offset those departures by reaching an agreement to sign Liverpool starlet Isaac Konde.
Ajayi’s impending signature is therefore a significant retention win, signalling that Manchester United can develop young talent through a period of academy churn. This is a major news for the team, especially after the recent fiasco involving prodigious talent JJ Gabriel, who is eager to leave the club.
Why Ajayi’s commitment matters
Manchester United were recently rocked by reports that JJ Gabriel had requested an immediate termination of his contract. Gabriel has already attracted significant interest from top clubs, per reports, raising concerns he may leave sooner rather than later.
Ajayi’s agreement to professional terms will come as a counterweight to Gabriel uncertainty, signalling to other academy prospects that Manchester United remains committed to supporting young stars through their development pathways. The winger is highly rated by coaches at the Carrington academy. Once he completes his contract formalities, he will hope to push towards first-team opportunities in the coming seasons.
Who is Noah Ajayi?
Noah Ajayi joined Manchester United’s academy after moving to England from Hamburger SV at the age of 10. He signed a scholarship agreement with the club in 2025 and has since featured regularly for the Under-18s and Under-21s, establishing himself as one of United’s most exciting young attacking prospects.
In the 2025/26 campaign, Ajayi scored nine goals and provided one assist across 25 academy appearances. An ankle injury limited his availability at the start of the current season, but he returned in September and marked his comeback with a goal against Newcastle United. He will now look to build on that momentum as he pushes towards first-team opportunities.
