The youngster is already being tipped for the top and his former gaffer believes he has what it takes to make the grade at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s promising teenage midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was tipped to break into the first team at Old Trafford as one of his former coaches provided an insight into his playing style and potential ability.
The playmaker came at Old Trafford from Monaco last summer for an initial fee of €5 million, increasing to €10m, and he’s already had an impact.
His performances for U23s and the Under-18s have piqued interest and there were some calls for him to be given a chance in the first team.
Academy chiefs in United are keen to play down the understandable hype surrounding the adolescent, in order to not put any pressure on the young star’s shoulders, but his former mentor from boyhood club Paris FC considers the 17-year-old has exactly what it takes to go all of the way to the top.
“I think he has what it takes to make it into the first group, I think he’s on the correct path. With the aid of God, patience, work, and humility, he’ll evolve in the group. That is something that he greatly deserves,” Paris FC trainer Reda Bekhti told objective.
The schemer caught the eye of coaches and began his career. Mejbri was coached by Bekhti and nine were him scouted because of ability and his skill.
“Hannibal was an excellent player and a very mature boy from a young age. From the start of his time in Paris FC, we admired his football qualities. He had character and potency,” Bekhti stated. “He was always smiling, very polite and very well-mannered. That was due to a good education from his parents. He was a participant who had been eager to learn and very demanding.”
Clubs began enquiring from age nine about the midfielder and United youth scout, Mathieu Seckinger became aware while working for his club Nancy, once the midfielder played for the U13s.
And Bekhti, who coached Mejbri for seven decades up until age 15, believes it’s his ability to read the game and his vision that began setting him apart from other people at a young age.
“His soccer strengths are primarily based on his ability to see things before others. On a football field he’s intellect far above the average,” Bekhti explained. “Along with this, he’s got plenty of technical skill and is a contemporary midfielder who’s capable of combining excellent retrieval of the ball, quickly transitioning and the ability to complete.”
Mejbri has been for eight weeks at United but has been praised for his leadership abilities and it.
“At the earliest age he had the charisma and character. He was giving out directions and he was frequently captain,” said Bekhti.
And while some have been quick to try to compare the playmaker to legendary leaders from United’s past, Bekhti believes his style is most like Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.
“Today, compared to a Premier League player, I see it as Guendouzi,” Bekhti stated. “Like Hannibal, he’s French, from French training, and grew up in the Paris area. His playing style is very similar to what Hannibal can perform from the Premier League in the next few years.”
And the belief is that Mejbri has been given the perfect grounding to establish himself as a Premier League player in the future.
