Manchester United have confirmed that youngster Habeeb Ogunneye has sealed a season-long loan move to a League Two outfit.
Ogunneye’s progress at United
Ogunneye has made consistent progress at United and has established himself as an influential figure in the club’s youth setup.
He primarily spent last season with the Under-21s.
The defender made 22 appearances across all competitions, contributing just one goal and two assists in that period.
Ogunneye was selected to train with INEOS-owned FC Lausanne Sport in October to aid his development. Having trained with Lausanne’s senior group, it looks like United felt he would benefit from regular first-team minutes at a competitive level, which could explain why they’ve allowed him to leave for the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign.
Erik ten Hag named the 19-year-old in United’s Premier League squads for seven matches towards the end of the 2023/24 season, but he achieved this feat just once last term.
Now, United have announced that Ogunneye has left to join Newport County.
United confirm Ogunneye’s temporary departure
United relayed in a statement, “Young Manchester United defender Habeeb Ogunneye has joined League Two club Newport County on loan for the 2025/26 season.”
“The London-born defender is reunited at Newport with Dave Hughes, who left his role as United’s Under-21s assistant manager at the end of last season.”
“Best of luck for the campaign, Habeeb!”
Newport boss, Hughes, stated, “I’m really pleased to get Habeeb on board. We’re also delighted that Manchester United have trusted us to help develop him and add to his progress on the next stage of his journey.”
“I obviously worked with him for a couple of years at Manchester United. I know he’s a good character; a good young professional in the way he conducts himself and goes about his work on a daily basis. He’s going to be an excellent addition to the squad and will certainly increase the competition.”
“He’s got loads of attributes and fits into the profile of what we’ve got in the squad – young, hungry, dynamic and really keen to improve. He’s got a good training mentality, which is important, and a willingness to push himself and challenge himself every day.”
“First team football will be another challenge for him, but I think he’ll be another player our supporters will all really like.”
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
