Erik ten Hag disagreed with advice on Man Utd star who 'took the p***' out of team-mates
Erik ten Hag had a busy transfer window at Manchester United, and one of the club's departures was tipped for a big future at Old Trafford at one stage.
He initially captured attention with his performances for the youth teams before he made his debut in 2021 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was still in charge. But when the Norwegian was sacked, Hannibal's chances of stamping his mark on the first team decreased with every passing year as none of Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick or Erik ten Hag were particularly keen.
While United's hierarchy reportedly still had belief in Hannibal, Ten Hag was not convinced and the youngster's move to the Championship brought down the red curtain on his time at Old Trafford. It is a far cry from what was expected when he arrived fresh from the famous talent factory that is Monaco.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The 21-year-old was linked with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona when he opted to join United's academy set-up in 2019. He would progress up to the U21s squad where he would then be sent on loan to Birmingham City and Sevilla.
While he struggled to catch light on the big stage, a source from United's training ground said Hannibal was the one to watch. They told The Athletic how Hannibal's quality and individual skill "took the p***" out of his team-mates.
In addition, Nick Cox, head of United's academy, told the Manchester Evening News: "His performances have been very good. The first objective for any player that arrives from outside of the country is to settle and build relationships. That's really the only expectation we have on him at the moment in these early phases, it's just to settle. And he's doing that nicely."
Hannibal made few appearances for United, but his most memorable came in the 5-0 home loss to Liverpool, when he came off the bench and charged around, showing some real fight. He backed up his intensity by clattering Jordan Henderson and Andrew Robertson, earning himself a booking, along with the attention of pundits and United fans.
Mejbri turned many heads while playing in the United academy ranks (Image: 2021 Manchester United FC)
His aggression found its way into the headlines soon after, but not in a good way. Hannibal was allegedly involved in a training ground dispute with Alex Telles, which saw training ended early.
Hannibal seemed to turn a corner on loan at Birmingham City, where he made 38 Championship appearances and even bagged their goal of the season award with a sumptuous free-kick against West Bromwich Albion.
When he returned to United in the summer of 2023, Ten Hag went out of his way to praise the youngster. The Dutchman said: "I think he gives a very good message to the rest of the squad that this is the demand. This has to be the standard when you are playing in a position, what you have to bring to the team to get success.
"He is a good fit to contribute to a good performance and to the result. I don't think [his adaptation has been] that quick. Before I came in here, he was already in the first team, he made his debut. He is making progress.
"So, that's why he deserved an opportunity, and I think he's taking that opportunity now. He did a great job for the team. He really contributed to our levels in the last two games.
Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Hannibal joined Burnley this summer (Image: Burnley FC)
"Every time he has to improve, and he has to give the evidence that he is worthy of playing. It's good that the internal competition is there, and hopefully, it will give other players a push that they have to bring more, and they have to add more."
Despite the praise, Ten Hag was still not convinced by him and he would be sent on loan to Sevilla shortly after his 21st birthday. His time in Spain was not productive, though, as he was excluded from training after an alleged clash with a team-mate.
Hannibal returned to United before then departing the club for good this summer in a move green-lighted by Ten Hag. Scott Parker's side agreed a £9.5m deal for Hannibal with the Red Devils.
When the deal was confirmed, Parker said: "Others and Hannibal were first-class in that sense, so yeah, we're excited about working with them, we're excited about the qualities they bring and no doubt, they're going to improve us."
