Andy Mitten shares Man Utd's plan for Charlie Hardy after signing him amid tough competition

Ineos’ aggressive youth recruitment drive is continuing at pace even outside the transfer window, with Charlie Hardy becoming the latest youngster to put pen to paper at Man Utd.

Youth recruitment has been a key focus for Ineos at Man Utd, be it poaching players from other English clubs, like Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven, or casting their net wide for youngsters, like Diego Leon and Sekou Kone.

Charlie Hardy is the latest to fall into the former bracket, with Andy Mitten recently reporting that Hardy is set to sign for United.

The 16-year-old goalkeeper will join Man Utd’s academy from Derby County, and Mitten has now shared United’s plans for the wonderkid.

Man Utd’s plan for Charlie Hardy

Goalkeeper is a tricky position in academy football, even more so at Man Utd, because they have a rich crop of talent between the sticks.

Elyh Harrison and Radek Vitek are two prospects of genuine quality out on loan, while the likes of William Murdock in the U21s and Fred Heath/Cameron Byrne-Hughes are impressing for the U18s side.

However, the goalkeepers need to be challenged with first-team football soon, so expect one or two of those three names at the club to go on loan.

Mitten spoke on The Talk of the Devils podcast and said Hardy will be placed with the U18s side to start with, which means one of Heath or Byrne-Hughes will be promoted to the U21s set-up, with Murdock seeking a loan move.

More United News

Hardy has signed a scholarship contract at Old Trafford, with plans in place for a formal professional deal as soon as he turns 17 in July next year.

Mitten said: “[Charlie Hardy’s transfer] was cleared on Thursday [October 23, 2025]. He’s England’s U18s goalkeeper playing under Neil Ryan, who United have been after for a long time.

“When you sign players from [English] clubs, they have to go through a five-step process which the Premier League oversees.

“That was completed on Thursday afternoon, so he’ll sign a scholarship. He’ll be eligible for a professional contract when he turns 17 in July.

“He’ll play in Darren Fletcher’s team. This is Utd being really serious about the academy, about the youth recruitment, but also just going for a different type of player.

“United are going out and signing players who other clubs want.” [Relevant portion begins near 43.20]

Ineos’ youth policy is low-risk, high-reward

From the outside, signing a goalkeeper when United already have five in the academy across two teams, two of them on loan, looks like overkill.

However, this is the kind of recruitment that has low risk due to the low fee involved, and potentially very high reward if even one pans out.

Youth development is a gamble for even the most talented players, so taking more bets at a low price naturally increases the chances of one panning out.

As the U18s goalkeeper for England, Hardy has already established a reputation for being the best goalkeeper in the country in his age group.

Being able to sign him cheaply is a no-brainer opportunity that United have taken despite competition from other clubs.

It speaks volumes about the project Ineos are able to sell to youngsters, which is a far cry from the days when United’s academy was eons behind the likes of Man City and Chelsea.

Just one player panning out and realising his potential is often enough to cover the cost of running the academy for a whole year.

Click here to read article