Although the present isn’t quite as bright for Manchester United, the future appears to be very promising.

The star of the renovation will undoubtedly be Kobbie Mainoo, who has been absolutely terrific since getting into the first squad.

The 18-year-old has started 18 Premier League games this season since his debut against Everton in November, and he has also made his England debut.

However, there is a young talent in the United academy that has the potential to be the best prospect since Mainoo, as well as a future successor to Rasmus Hojlund.

Rasmus Hojlund’s first season at United in numbers.

Hojlund struggled to adjust to the Premier League at first, weighed down by a £72 million price tag and the expectation of immediate success.

Fast forward to now, and the Dane has seven goals and two assists in the English Premier League, but his production has slowed in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old has not scored in any of United’s last four Premier League games, but he spends the most of his time on the field chasing shadows and receiving no service.

If there had been a replacement in the squad for Hojlund, he may have been rotated, but there is no doubt that he has the potential to lead the line for years to come, and he may face competition from an academy player very soon.

Ethan Wheatley could come up next.

Ethan Wheatley is not a name that many United fans will be familiar with, but the 18-year-old made his first matchday squad against Bournemouth over the weekend.

The academy standout is a fierce centre forward who has succeeded in the U21s and U19s this season, and he enjoys scoring goals.

This season, the number 84 has played 25 games in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and assisting four times, which is an excellent performance.

Wheatley shined against København in the UEFA Youth League this season, scoring and assisting in a 2-2 tie, demonstrating his versatility beyond goals.

Wheatley is an incredibly dynamic striker who is at ease on the half-turn while also possessing the confidence to unleash a strike from distance, as evidenced by the video above.

It also demonstrates that he is the type of forward who can conjure up moments of magic from nothing, even when there is a shortage of supply, an aspect that even Hojlund has to improve.

He does, however, have the traits of a goal-poacher, as he uses intelligent movement to earn himself a yard of space in the box, where he frequently scores.

Overall, the “sensational” attacker, as Statman Dave refers to him, has a very bright future ahead of him, and Erik ten Hag has demonstrated a strong desire to incorporate him into the first team setup.