Leeds United keen on forgotten Man Utd star who was involved in training ground fight
Erik ten Hag is willing to let rough-and-ready midfielder Hannibal Mejbri depart Old Trafford this summer, with a pair of Championship clubs lining up to sign him
Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri has been deemed surplus to requirements by Erik ten Hag this summer - with Leeds and Burnley interested.
The young Tunisian was signed by United in 2019, joining from Monaco in a deal worth roughly £9million, and first broke through into the first team under Ralf Rangnick.
Two loan spells later, Ten Hag is looking to offload the midfielder. Burnley are an interested party, as they need a replacement for Sander Berge, who is set to join Fulham. The Clarets are familiar with the 21-year-old, as Mejbri played against them September last year.
Leeds are another potential suitor. They have lost both Archie Gray and Glen Kamara in the middle of the park and need a tenacious tackler like Mejbri, who let his temper get the better of him in 2022 during a training group scuffle.
After a humbling 4-0 loss to Brighton, then-head coach Ralf Rangnick was forced to end a training session early after it was reported that Mejbri and teammate Alex Telles were involved in an altercation.
The two allegedly had to be pulled apart because the incident was so severe, but that didn't stop the young Tunisian from continuing to feature under Rangnick. Days later, he played in the club's final match of the season against Crystal Palace.
Telles was offloaded shortly after the incident, and Mejbri was in contention to feature regularly under then-incoming boss Ten Hag. However, he was instead sent on loan to Birmingham City for the 2022/23 season..
Last September, the Dutchman praised the youngster's progression since returning from his spell away but warned that on the back of consecutive Premier League starts, he must carry on improving.
“I think he gives a very good message to the rest of the squad that this is the demand," Ten Hag stated. "This has to be the standard when you are playing in a position, what you have to bring to the team, to get success.
"He is a good fit to contribute to a good performance and to the result. I don’t think [his adaptation has been] that quick. Before I came in here, he was already in the first team, he made his debut. He is making progress.
"So, that's why he deserved an opportunity, and I think he's taking that opportunity now. he did a great job for the team, he really contributed to our levels in the last two games.
"Every time he has to improve, and he has to give the evidence that he is worthy of playing. It's good that the internal competition is there, and hopefully, it will give other players a push that they have to bring more, and they have to add more."
Yet, the midfielder was loaned out to Sevilla in January, where a £17m but out clause wasn't triggered after he made just six appearances. It now looks like he'll leave Old Trafford permanently, with the Championship his likely destination.
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