5 academy graduates who were let go too soon by their original clubs | Premier League 2019-20 

#5 Josh King

Manchester United tried to buy Josh King last month - after letting him leave for a pittance in 2013

Norwegian international Josh King is probably one of the Premier League’s more underrated strikers. Currently in the midst of his 5th season in the top flight with Bournemouth, the 28-year old has been a key contributor for the Cherries since his arrival, and 2018-19 saw him score an impressive 12 goals while also registering 3 assists.

King made the headlines in January when Manchester United made a late bid to bring him to Old Trafford, only for Eddie Howe’s side to turn down any advances – but crazily, the Red Devils could already have had the Norwegian striker on their roster had they shown a little more patience with him during his first stint at the club as an academy graduate.

The forward initially joined United as a 16-year old in January 2008, but despite impressing for their various youth teams, the best he could get from the Red Devils was a series of loan moves to the likes of Preston North End, Borussia Monchengladbach and Hull City – moves that largely failed to see him make a big impact.

A loan to Blackburn in 2012-13 proved to be more fruitful though, and the Norwegian ended up making a permanent move to Ewood Park for just £1m. 2 seasons later, he made the move to Bournemouth when his contract with Blackburn expired, and since then he’s been scoring and creating goals regularly at the Vitality Stadium.

United’s bid of £25m proved to be too little to prise him away from the Cherries’ hands, but if the Red Devils had kept him a little longer – perhaps taking a leaf out of Chelsea’s book with more loan moves – then he may well have been able to break into their first team once it began to weaken in the post-Ferguson seasons, saving them the current issues they’re going through when it comes to available strikers.