Erik ten Hag transfer decision suggests his Manchester United plans might have changed

Ethan Wheatley etched his name into the Manchester United history books in April when he became the 250th academy graduate to debut for the first team.

He stepped off the bench in the closing stages of United's 4-2 triumph over Sheffield United at Old Trafford and it marked a momentous juncture in the rich history of United's academy. He was the sixth academy player to be handed a senior debut by Erik ten Hag and all eyes are now on who will be the seventh.

If United's pre-season campaign has so far taught us anything, there is a good chance it could be Toby Collyer. The midfielder has featured in all of the Reds' opening three friendlies, starting twice.

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After coming off the bench at half-time and being handed the captain's armband for the second half of the 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg, Collyer started the 2-0 win over Rangers in Edinburgh five days later. He then kept his place for the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the magnificent SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles at the weekend.

As expected, Ten Hag maximised his squad in the opening game of the tour, fielding two entirely different outfield XIs, making 10 changes at the half-time break. The first-half XI was the stronger of the two, featuring Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro.

After the break, those on the fringes of Ten Hag's first-choice XI and a handful of youngsters featured, such as Will Fish, Jonny Evans, Sam Murray, Maxi Oyedele, James Scanlon and Wheatley. Collyer was among the more senior figures, playing in the first half.

Despite travelling to the US without two-thirds