Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first window in charge of Manchester United in January 2019 was largely uneventful - making no first-team signings - yet the chequebook was still opened.
The Red Devils signed Noam Emeran from French side Amiens, a promising 16-year-old winger. It was quite the coup for Solskjaer's side, who'd fought off competition from European rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus to lure the talent to Old Trafford.
"I chose Man Utd after discussing it with my family," said Emeran on signing. "I think United were my best option from the offers I had to enable me to play at the top level. It is now down to me to put in the work needed to reach my targets and fulfil my dreams."
The ex-France U16 international also admitted Anthony Martial was one of his role models... and he's getting closer to following in his footsteps by becoming a first-team regular at Old Trafford. Yet it's not been an easy ride for Emeran since his arrival in England.
He was denied the chance to hit the ground running in Manchester due to injury. But United maintained their faith - offering him a professional contract in November 2019 - and they were rewarded when the talent lit up the U18 Premier League last season.
The Frenchman scored five goals and provided six assists in 16 appearances, a fine record for a winger. He also played five games in the Premier League 2 - the competition's reserve division - as well as make the bench for an EFL Trophy fixture against Rochdale.
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Sadly, injury ended his season in April 2021 and United missed out on the U18 title to Manchester City by just a point. It was a disappointing end, yet he'd shown enough to confirm his talent. "Even more is to come," promised Emeran on Instagram.
The teenager was determined to recover from his injuries after a conversation with Wayne Rooney. "He told me, 'A player makes good or bad his career choice based on his determination,'" Emeran told Le Parisien. "I realised that I had to be demanding of myself."
He's continued to progress this season. Emeran has featured in all of United's last seven Premier League 2 fixtures - scoring in a 5-2 win against Derby - and made his professional debut in the EFL Trophy game against Bradford last September, a 3-0 win.
And Emeran's made the most of the international break, training alongside Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford in the first team with interim manager Ralf Rangnick watching on. He may just have done enough to capture the German's attention.
It's been four months since Solskjaer's time at United came to an end and, it's fair to say, not all of his signings have worked out. Donny van de Beek, for example, is currently on loan at Everton and many are even doubting the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Emeran, however, looks like a great bit of business. Injuries have restricted his progress and there are several promising youngsters at the club, including Alejandro Garnacho and Hannibal Mejbri. Even so, United fans should be keeping tabs on the Frenchman.
