Manchester United chief claims club could complete first new signings within weeks

Manchester United's Head of Academy Nicky Butt says there are already plans in place for the club to sign more young players before the start of next season, with some possibly to arrive "in the next few weeks."

United stole the headlines on transfer deadline day last summer with the signing of Anthony Martial from Monaco, making the Frenchman the most expensive teenager in world football. But the club's efforts to bring more young talent to the club at every level are constantly ongoing, as recently explained by Louis van Gaal.

Speaking at the beginning of March, van Gaal explained: "A lot of players are coming to the club next season because they have seen first-team roles a realistic opportunity for any young player."

United have recently signed 18-year-old American defender Matthew Olosunde with a move for 16-year-old Tahith Chong reportedly edging closer. And Butt, whose role as head of the club's academy hands him a key role in the club's recruitment process, insists United's contingent of bright young talent will continue to grow over the summer.

"I definitely expect that to happen," Butt told United's official website when asked about the arrival of more young talent. "We're short on a few numbers in the different age groups and it's something we need to address, something we are addressing and something we will hopefully get over the line in the next few weeks, in time for next season.

"It's the same as any other club. We all want to attract the best young players in Europe, at whatever age, and we're exactly the same. We want to attract the best players we can from all over Europe and bring them into what we feel is already a great set-up."

While often enforced by injuries to members of his first-team squad, van Gaal has not shied away from looking to the club's youth ranks, recently admitting the emergence of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Guillermo Varela convinced him not to sign another full-back during the January transfer window.