Manchester United sign young defender from rivals City

Manchester United have snapped up youngster Reece Devine from cross-city rivals Manchester City.

Left-back Devine, 16, will go into United’s under-18 side, managed by Neil Ryan.

Devine was released by Man City last season after two years with the club.

United have also added Connor Stanley, who plays as a winger, from Birmingham.

Jose Mourinho recently complained about the quality of young players coming through at Old Trafford, despite the under-18s winning last season’s Premier League North.

During the club’s tour of the US, he said: “We have just a few players here, lots of kids, our kids are really, really young.

“That’s because the team of older ones, the under-23’s, the team was relegated.

“The team went to the second division, so the quality was not good so we prefer to bring kids.

“The good young players are too young. We don’t have good players of 20, 21, like for example Real Madrid have, our good players are young, they are 16, 17.

“We are going to make good players from our youth team again when they grow older because I repeat, our under 23’s were relegated.”

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says that the club is lacking in good players aged 20 and 21.

Mourinho has used academy graduates throughout the club’s preseason tour of the US, including Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and James Garner.

But with the club’s Under-23 squad suffering relegation last season, Mourinho says that he had no choice but to go younger.

And he believes that the level of quality is “not good” in the next age group off the conveyor belt.

“We have just a few players here, lots of kids, our kids are really, really young,” Mourinho said.

“That’s because the team of older ones, the under-23’s, the team was relegated.

“The team went to the second division, so the quality was not good so we prefer to bring kids.

“The good young players are too young. We don’t have good players of 20, 21, like for example Real Madrid have, our good players are young, they are 16, 17.

“We are going to make good players from our youth team again when they grow older because I repeat, our under 23’s were relegated.”

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is looking to make up for lost time and get back to his best as the Manchester United left-back begins his season-long loan at Scunthorpe.

Thrust into the spotlight as a teenager by Louis van Gaal during the 2015-16 season, the defender produced performances for his hometown club that belied his tender years.

Borthwick-Jackson made 14 appearances for United but has since seen his progress stunted, with tough loan spells at Wolves and Leeds making him all the more hungry after joining Sky Bet League One side Scunthorpe.

“On a personal note, the ambition is to get back to where I know I can be and play as many games as I can,” the 21-year-old told Press Association Sport ahead of Saturday’s season opener at Coventry.

“But as a collective, I want to help the team push for promotion and obviously give the fans something to be excited about along the way.

“I probably do better when I have a run of games and get into my stride.

“When I was at Wolves, the first game I played I got man of the match and the next game I was in the stands, so it was a bit of a strange one.

“Obviously when (Paul) Lambert came in, he had his reasons for not wanting to play me.

“I don’t think I was his type of player, he preferred others and I think that was the same sort of scenario at Leeds.

“So, I feel like this manager (Nick Daws) has faith in me. He’s going to give me the chance and hopefully I can repay that by good performances.”