Manchester United starlet hesitates over signing new contract with concerns over first-team opportunities: Reports
Manchester United could reportedly lose one of their brightest prospects as Isak Hansen-Aaroen has doubts about his future.
Manchester Evening News reports that Hansen-Aaroen, 19, is growing frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities at Old Trafford. The Norweigan attacking midfielder is yet to make a single appearance for Erik ten Hag's senior team.
However, Hansen-Aaroen has impressed at U21 level with the Red Devils. He's bagged five goals and two assists in 45 games across competitions.
The Norway U21 international has just six months left on his contract. Manchester United have held talks with the attacker about a four-year extension.
However, the terms on offer are lower than that of which he is likely to receive elsewhere. He's garnered interest from Eredivisie giants Ajax, La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, and Serie A side Napoli.
Hansen-Aaroen came in for praise from Ten Hag during pre-season after his performance in a 2-0 friendly win against Leeds United. The Red Devils boss said (via Tribal Football):
"He did well, making a good pass for the first goal. He's really comfortable on the ball; he has good vision and good scanning. Of course, he's a young player, he has some deficits he needs to work on, which we will show him and tell him (about). And we will work with him, to improve him."
Hansen-Aaroen joined Manchester United's academy in July 2022 after leaving Eliteserien outfit Tromso's youth system. The Norweigan is versatile as he can play in attacking midfield, on the wing, and further back in central midfield. He works well in tight spaces and is comfortable in possession.
Isak Hansen-Aaroen on his Manchester United debut during pre-season
Hansen-Aaroen has yet to make a competitive appearance for Manchester United but he enjoyed a fruitful pre-season. He made his debut in his side's 1-1 draw against La Liga side Rayo Vallecano.
The exciting prospect touched on that five-minute cameo appearance and how he felt when being subbed on by Ten Hag. He said (via The Peoples Person):
"When he (Ten Hag) finally said my name, he asked if I needed to warm up. I said ‘no no, I can go straight on’. It was a lot of fun! I could say so much about what I feel, I don’t know where to start."
Hansen-Aaroen didn't get on the scoresheet but did force a good save from Rayo's North Macedonian goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. He admitted he was living a dream:
"It’s a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember. That it’s happened is absolutely insane. I’m living the dream now."
However, the dream of forcing his way into Ten Hag's first-team plans this season hasn't come to fruition. He's still excelling for Manchester United's U21s and has started this campaign with two goals in eight games across competitions.