Hannibal Mejbri admits he needs to get stronger if he is to make a successful move to Manchester United’s first team.
The 18-year-old Mejbri ended a good season with the U23 with his first appointment to the Tunisian national team and played in three friendly matches against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Algeria and Mali earlier this month.
The teenager was named United’s Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year and made his career debut with Wolves on the last day of the season.
It remains to be seen whether the next phase of Mejbri’s development will continue next season on loan at United or elsewhere. United bought Mejbri from Monaco for € 10m when he was only 16 and signed a new three-year deal with the club in March.
Mejbri has been fouled 86 times in 22 games in which WyScout collected data from last season and was sent off against Derby last month for calling for an opponent to be warned.
United U23 coach Neil Wood thought Mejbri wasn’t ready to go on loan last season, but the playmaker has stepped up in preparing for men’s football.
“I’m feeling a little better technically,” Mejbri told the United website. “And I have the feeling that I can withstand the bumps and tough challenges a little easier. It runs fine.
“We work hard on building muscle in the gym. I discuss it a lot with the coach and he told me I was a little frail when I arrived, but now I’m fine.”
“I’ve gained a bit of weight, but I still have to work on it.”
