Danish youngster admits snubbing Manchester United after Ajax trials

Ajax youngster Lasse Abildgaard has admitted he had a trial with Manchester United before deciding to sign for the Dutch club last summer.

The 17-year-old spent a week at Carrington last year on trial and has said in a new interview that it was he and his team who made the decision not to stay.

Abildaard insists Ajax was the ‘best’ option for him after they handed him a three-year deal in July 2023 – following a two-week trial.

The young Dane, who plays on the wing, has since been added to Ajax’s U17s squad.

Speaking to Tipsbladet, Abildgaard said: “It is of course great to be allowed to join such a club, and to be good enough for such a big club to believe in you. Every day you come in, there are expensive cars, you see the Ajax logo, there are [security] guards outside, there are a lot of training sessions. It’s just great to put on the Ajax training clothes.

“I heard about [Ajax’s] interest a long time ago. And then it was like just a process between the club and my family and my advisor about how it should go, and things like that. I also went to trial training down there [at United] to see what it was like, and we ended up making the decision that it was the best for me.”

Abildgaard has yet to make his first team debut for Ajax, but his focus should be on developing at such a young age.

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