Manchester United have a rich history of developing young players. Usually the Red Devils have players who come up through their academy, but they should look to invest in young talent from the Championship and the lower leagues.
The Football League has been home to some of the EPL stars of today, such as Dele Alli, who has gone on to perform wonderfully in the top flight. Here are three they could sign from the second tier.
#3 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
The 17 year-old is one of the brightest young talents in the country. He has established himself in Fulham's starting eleven since he made his Championship debut in August 2017.
He can play as either a left-back or left-winger and has chipped in 14 goals so far this season, building on the 7 he got in the last campaign. He is on the radar of many big clubs in England, and Manchester United should act fast to lure him to Old Trafford.
He is quick, sharp and has a wand-like left foot. There has been reports that Fulham value him at around £50 million, according to the Express. There is no doubt that Sessegnon has a huge future ahead of him and is a future England international.
Manchester United need to make a good long-term investment and Sessegnon would be a big signing for them. They do currently have Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young as options for left-back. However, these are not long-term options.
You could argue Luke Shaw is their future left-back but he is injury prone and this has halted his development as a player. Sessegnon would break into the first-team at United and does have the quality to play for their starting eleven immediately.
#2 Ruben Neves (Wolves)
Championship leaders Wolves shocked the football world in the summer when they signed the Portuguese international from FC Porto for £16 million. He has been pivotal for Wolves in their rise to the top of the league and he looks all set to be a Premier League player next season.
The 21 year-old has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Championship and looks destined for bigger things. Like Sessegnon, Neves has a huge future in the game and Manchester United should fork out a big fee to bring him to Old Trafford.
With Ander Herrera's long-term future in doubt, Manchester United should plot a move for Neves in the summer. Neves is young but he has shown a maturity in his performances this season for Wolves.
He has proven himself to be a top passer of the ball and he links the play well for Nuno Espirito Santo's side. He is also comfortable using both feet and has the ability to score goals from outside of the box. These abilities make him suited to play for Manchester United.
He could play for the first-team at United, or at least start on the bench should they sign him. However, there is no indication yet of his valuation from Wolves' perspective, but there have been some rumours of Wolves fans valuing him around £30-50 million according to the Birmingham Mail.
#1 Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest)
The Nottingham Forest striker is just 18 years old, but has already played 46 games for the Championship side. He is big, strong and quick and causes problems for defences in the second tier.
He looks set for a big future, Manchester United should pounce in the summer. He impressed for the Reds in their FA Cup win over Arsenal, scoring twice. It is impressive for an 18-year-old to establish himself in the first-team of a Championship side and be a regular starter.
Ben Brereton is a name to watch out for in the future. He would be an exciting signing for Manchester United and would probably cost them a bit less than what Sessegnon and Neves would.
The price tag for Brereton has been touted at around £10 million by The Sun. The Red Devils do have some decent young strikers in their ranks, such as James Wilson, however they need a signing like Brereton to come in and be knocking on the door of the first-team immediately or at least on the bench.
I believe that come the end of the season, Brereton will have the ability to play in the English Premier League.