United insert sell-on clauses as Ogunneye and Scanlon head to Arsenal in free transfers

Manchester United are poised to lose two academy players to Premier League rivals Arsenal this summer, with right-back Habeeb Ogunneye having already undergone a medical at the Gunners and winger James Scanlon close to completing his own move, according to The Athletic. Both deals are expected to be free transfers, with United inserting significant sell-on clauses into each agreement.

Ogunneye, 20, and Scanlon, 19, are familiar faces to Arsenal’s new under-21s head coach David Horseman, who spent four months at United in an academy coaching role before moving to north London. That connection is understood to have been a factor in Arsenal’s pursuit of both youngsters.

The double departure fits a clear pattern at Old Trafford this summer. United have structured a series of academy exits with protective financial mechanisms designed to ensure the club benefits if these players develop into significant assets elsewhere. Winger Ethan Ennis recently joined League One side Stockport County, while Ethan Williams moved to Peterborough United on a deal that included a 50 per cent sell-on clause, a buyback option, and matching rights. Goalkeeper Radek Vitek was sold for a fee that could reach £14 million, with a 35 per cent sell-on clause attached, and Tyler Fredricson joined Lausanne Sport with a high-percentage sell-on and buyback option included.

The approach reflects the commercial philosophy of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who outlined his vision for the academy last October. “You need the academy to be producing talent all the time. It helps you financially,” Ratcliffe said. Under that model, players who cannot break into the first team are not simply released — they are sold in deals engineered to generate future income.

Chelsea have set the benchmark for this kind of academy monetisation in England, having generated over £400 million in transfer fees from homegrown players. For United, any sale of a homegrown player represents pure profit under the Premier League’s financial sustainability rules, making the strategy doubly attractive.

Further exits are expected before the transfer window closes. Toby Collyer, Dan Gore, and striker Chido Obi are among the academy players who could still leave on loan or permanently before the deadline.