Manchester United have confirmed the exit of another highly rated academy forward, with 17-year-old striker Louie Bradbury completing a permanent move to Championship side Stoke City — a decision that has caught plenty of United followers off guard given the timing.
A Move That Came Out of Nowhere
What makes the transfer particularly striking is how recently Bradbury had committed his future to Old Trafford. He only put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club on 12 August, meaning United have sanctioned his sale barely three weeks later. He’d continued to perform well right up until the move, even finding the net for the Under-18s in a 3-0 win over Everton just days before the switch was finalised.
United’s official statement confirmed that the Shrewsbury-born forward had agreed to join Stoke on a permanent basis, subject to the usual registration process, adding that everyone at the club wished him well for the next stage of his career.
From Carrington to the Potters
Bradbury joined United’s academy at Under-14 level and steadily worked his way up through the age groups, earning his scholarship in 2025. He made his Under-18 bow as a late substitute in an FA Youth Cup tie, and went on to enjoy a productive campaign last season — netting eight goals in Under-18 Premier League fixtures and also finding the net at Premier League 2 level for the Under-21s. Across his four years at the club, he scored 10 goals in 26 Under-21 appearances in total.
Reports suggest that despite signing his new deal, growing uncertainty over his route into United’s first-team picture ultimately played a part in the decision to move on, with other academy graduates still waiting for their own senior opportunities cited as part of the wider context behind the exit.
At Stoke, Bradbury has signed a two-year contract with the option of a further year attached. Academy director Jack Higgins said the club were pleased to add Bradbury to a group of promising strikers already coming through their own Under-18 and Under-21 ranks, and praised the recruitment staff for their work in getting the deal over the line.
Part of a Wider Academy Clear-Out
Bradbury’s departure is the latest in a string of academy exits from Old Trafford this window. It follows Gabriele Biancheri’s permanent move to Austrian second-tier club FC Wacker Innsbruck just a day earlier, as well as Toby Collyer’s exit to West Brom in the closing days of the transfer window — part of a broader effort to trim a squad that had become increasingly crowded at youth level.
United now turn their attention back to first-team matters, with Michael Carrick’s side away to Everton on Sunday.