Summary Manchester United set to open contract talks with promising young player, Hannibal Mejbri, who has impressed manager Erik ten Hag. Mejbri’s current contract expires in 2024, but United want to extend it and avoid a free transfer. The midfielder is eager to prove himself at Old Trafford. Although still early in his career, Mejbri has shown promise with strong performances on loan at Birmingham City and has already scored his first goal for United.

Manchester United are now set to open contract talks with a "promising" player who's broken into the first team, according to a report.

What's the latest Man United contract news?

Man United have been keen to tie down a number of youngsters to new deals in recent months, with it recently being reported that forward Joe Hugill has now agreed to put pen to paper on a new deal, which will extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2026. The news about Hugill edging closer towards signing a new deal follows United agreeing fresh terms with Dan Gore and Rhys Bennett back in the summer, while Marcus Rashford agreed a five-year contract, with Erik ten Hag clearly planning for the future.

Rashford did more than enough to impress his manager last season, having racked up 30 goals across all competitions, and he is not the only young player who has made an impression on Ten Hag in recent times. According to a report from 90min, the Red Devils boss is believed to be a fan of Hannibal Mejbri, and talks over a new contract have now been opened, with the club of the belief he is worthy of being handed fresh terms.

Hannibal's current deal expires in the summer of 2024, although Man United do retain the option to extend it by an additional year, and it is thought to be highly unlikely they let him walk away from the club on a free transfer at the end of the season. There are indications the midfielder would be eager to extend his stay at Old Trafford, with the report revealing he is keen to prove himself at Old Trafford, having signed from AS Monaco for £4.35m in 2019, although that could rise to £8.7m.

The 20-year-old has already made his breakthrough at international level, having been capped 20 times by Tunisia, and he has now broken into the United first team, having scored his first goal for the club against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

How good is Hannibal Mejbri?

The Tunisia international has only made four first-team appearances for the Red Devils, as he is still in the early stages of his career, and there is real competition for places in midfield, considering the summer acquisitions of Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount. As such, it may be a little while before the youngster establishes himself as a starter for United, but it is clear to see why Ten Hag is eager to tie him down to a new contract, as he put in some promising performances on loan at Birmingham City last season.

Over the past year, the attacking midfielder ranks in the 96th percentile for assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level, while also placing in the 83rd percentile for progressive carries, displaying his ability to drive the ball forward. It is good news that Man United have opened new contract talks with Hannibal, and they should look to tie him down for the long-term future, considering he's been lauded as "promising" by Ralf Rangnick.