Manchester United Secures Sell-On Clauses as Arsenal Signs Academy Talents

Manchester United are preparing to wave goodbye to two more academy products – but not without securing a firm grip on their futures.

According to The Athletic, 20-year-old right-back Habeeb Ogunneye has already completed a medical with Arsenal ahead of a move from Old Trafford, while 19-year-old winger James Scanlon is also closing in on a switch to north London. Both are expected to join the Gunners on free transfers, yet United have moved decisively to insert what are described as significant sell-on clauses into each deal.

No transfer fee now. Potentially a big payday later.

Arsenal tap into familiar talent

These aren’t blind punts from Arsenal’s academy department. Both Ogunneye and Scanlon are well known to the club’s new under-21s head coach, David Horseman, who spent four months working inside United’s academy setup earlier in his career. That short spell has now opened a door for two of United’s prospects to restart their journeys in north London.

For Arsenal, it is a low-risk move: no upfront fee, two highly rated youngsters, and a coach who already understands their strengths. For United, it is another example of a new transfer strategy taking shape beneath the first team.

United’s academy becomes an asset factory

United’s academy has always been judged by the players who make it into the first team. Under the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan, though, clubs have also learned to treat their youth systems as serious revenue streams.

Chelsea have set the benchmark, generating over £400million in transfer fees from players produced in their academy. Every homegrown sale counts as pure profit on the balance sheet – a crucial factor under the old PSR (profit and sustainability) rules and still a major consideration in the current financial landscape.

United are now trying to catch up. The exits of Ogunneye and Scanlon are part of a wider pattern this summer rather than isolated deals.

Last week, winger Ethan Ennis left for League One side Stockport County. Before him, Ethan Williams joined Peterborough United, goalkeeper Radek Vitek signed for Middlesbrough, and defender Tyler Fredricson moved to Ineos-owned Lausanne Sport.

The template is clear. Williams’ move included a 50 per cent sell-on clause, a buyback option and matching rights. Vitek’s transfer brought in a substantial initial fee that could climb to £14m, alongside a 35 per cent sell-on clause, plus buyback and matching rights again. Fredricson’s switch contained what was described as a “high percentage” sell-on clause and a buyback option.

United are not simply cutting loose their youngsters. They are keeping a financial tether to almost all of them.

Ratcliffe’s blueprint in action

This is exactly the kind of approach Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been pushing since taking charge of football operations at Old Trafford. Speaking on The Business Podcast last October, he laid out the logic in blunt terms: “You need the academy to be producing talent all the time. It helps you financially.”

That philosophy is now visible in the fine print of United’s outgoing deals. The club accepts that not every academy player will break into Erik ten Hag’s squad, but they are determined that those who leave will still contribute to the project – either by returning one day via buyback clauses or by generating serious funds if their careers take off elsewhere.

Ogunneye and Scanlon are the latest test cases. If they flourish under Horseman and climb towards Arsenal’s first team, United’s decision to prioritise sell-on clauses could turn two free transfers into lucrative windfalls down the line.

For now, they walk away from Old Trafford without making a dent in Arsenal’s budget. The real question is how much they might end up costing the Gunners a few years from now.