Yet, while United may lead the English rush into the academy culture, they are left trailing by some of the Continent's biggest names.
Dutch models, such as the academy run by Ajax Amsterdam, have attracted visitors from envious clubs around the world. Yet it is often forgotten that clubs such as Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven were among the first to extend their youth development into other European countries - in particular the Nordic nations.
Denmark legend Frank Arnesen, now general manager at PSV, was plucked by the club from Danish youth football as a teenager, while winger Jesper Olsen, later to star with United, was picked up by Ajax from the Danish second division.
Now Ajax fish successfully in Australian waters and have bought a controlling interest in a premier league club in South Africa, Ajax Spurs, to act as a nursery. As for Feyenoord, the Rotterdam club have launched an academy in South America - from where they have unearthed outstanding players like Argentine striker Julio Cruz, now in Italy with Bologna.
Anderlecht of Belgium have developed such a widespread net for talent that several years ago the club decided to make English the official training-ground language.
The French model is different. Clubs such as Nantes and Auxerre were European leaders in building domestic academies. The aim was simple: find talented teenagers either within France or former French colonies in Africa, turn them into stars to win cups and titles, sell them and bring through a new generation.
The reward came when the national team won the 1998 World Cup and last year's European Championship. But, as World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet said: 'This was not overnight success. This goes back a decade or more and demanded a lot of work from a lot of people whose names nobody knows.'
