Monday morning saw the announcement of 19-year-old centre-back Willy Kambwala making his move to Spain to join the yellow army.
The deal with Villarreal is in the region of £9m on a 5-year contract that will see him remain at the Estadi de la Ceramica until June 2029.
Kambwala spent nigh on four years at the club after joining from French Ligue 2 outfit Sochaux in 2020. His debut for the first-team came in the 2-0 defeat at West Ham where he partnered Jonny Evans.
He would go on to play 10 times for United across all competitions starting three of the eight PL appearances he made.
Willy Kambwala was another young player given a chance at Old Trafford by Erik ten Hag which kept with the club's long-standing tradition of promoting the youth.
There were rumors around this potential move but it seemed to be a little under radar but as we now know, it was true.
The young defender had this to say about his departure:
"Dear Manchester United, I arrived at the club as a boy with a dream and today I'm leaving like a young man who has fulfilled his dream.
From the academy to the first team, it's time for me to start a new adventure after 4 wonderful seasons at the club. Coaches, my teammates, staff members, workers at Carrington and members of my host family. I'll never forget what you all did for me.
A special thank you to you fans who have always supported me, you are the soul of this club. I wish you the best for this season and for the future."
Some of his team-mates including Amad, Kobbie Mainoo and others responded to this goodbye message wishing Kambwala well for the future.
Final Thoughts
I like Kambwala. I think he's a good defender with all the makings of a top centre-back. With the guidance of some of the more experienced players in the dressing, I felt that he could perhaps be a stalwart centre-back for United for years to come.
His departure is somewhat of a surprise to me as after making it into the first team last season, I thought that he would want to remain and push for more game time under Erik ten Hag, a manager whom we know does give youngsters an opportunity if he sees them as good enough to play for the first team. The fact that he did with Kambwala shows that the manager obviously thought very highly of the youngster.
But perhaps it was the manager who told the young defender that game time maybe limited as the club look to strengthen at centre-back.
Kambwala probably decided then and there (if this is the case) that it is time for me to go. He showed some ambition as he wants to be a regular starter instead of a bit-part player.
I can respect that 🤝.
Ironically, I feel that this is the type of mentality we need at United with some of our players: to show that ambition. I feel that there are far too many who don't show enough of this and are content with being those backup/squad players.
But I wish Willy Kambwala nothing but the best for his future and hopes he absolutely smashes it 👊.
Background Image: Willy Kambwala | Image credit: Getty Images via Goal