The teenage forward has enjoyed a breakthrough 2023-24 campaign in Belgium, attracting attention from the new ownership regime at Old Trafford
“Cristiano Ronaldo is the best footballer of all time. He inspires others and is also a good person off the field," George Ilenikhena said in an interview with Belgian newspaper in January. "I watch his videos all the time. So, it should come as no surprise that Manchester United are my favourite club, right? Cristiano played there, didn’t he?"
As come-and-get-me pleas go, the 17-year-old's could hardly have been more emphatic. The Royal Antwerp starlet's comments also coincided with INEOS' minority takeover at Old Trafford, which finally saw Sir Jim Ratcliffe take control of football operations after a lengthy bidding process. The INEOS chairman has vowed to overhaul United's transfer policy with a focus on the development of promising young players, and sure enough, Ilenikhena is now one of the players on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to Belgian football journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the Red Devils are plotting to swoop for the youngster when the market reopens, with it reported that he is already being valued as high as €20 million (£17m/$22m).
Ilenikhena's status as a Ronaldo fan boy is not what has alerted United, though. Antwerp have a very special talent on their hands, one who already looks capable of making the step up to one of Europe's elite clubs…
Where it all began
Ilenikhena was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but moved to France with his family at the age of three and grew up in Antony – a commune located in the suburbs of Paris. He would take his first steps in football when joining the local educational and sporting project named 'Antony Football Evolution', which welcomes 700 new members ranging from beginner to veteran level every year.
It wasn't immediately clear that Ilenikhena had a bright future in the game, though. "George arrived here as a goalkeeper. He didn't have much coordination," his former youth coach Tom Bouvil told in November. "He was big for his age, but not a top player. He was even in the Under-11 B team, not the A's. But he was attentive and learned a lot.”
A switch to centre-forward would eventually come for Ilenikhena as a reward for his determination to improve, and he matured quicker than most of his peers. "He alternated between good and bad for two years, but at the U14 level he completely exploded," Bouvil added. "The physical tests he completed that summer were unprecedented. He immediately scored 12 goals in four matches that season against top teams."
That rapid progress caught the attention of Ligue 2 outfit Amiens, who drafted Ilenikhena into their academy ranks in 2021. He had to bide his time for a first-team opportunity, but scored 24 goals for France's U17 team across the 2021-22 season, which prompted Amiens to fast-track his development.
Ilenikhena made his debut for the French club at the age of 16 in November 2022, and would go onto finish the season with 16 appearances in Ligue 2, by which time he had become a target for scouts across Europe. A move to the Bundesliga became a realistic option last summer as Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund were strongly linked with Ilenikhena, but he opted to head to Belgium as Antwerp snapped him up for a reported £5m, much to the delight of their sporting director Marc Overmars.
“We have been following him for a long time and are therefore pleased that he has chosen us,” Overmars said at Ilenikena's unveiling. But even the former Ajax and Arsenal star could not have predicted just how big an impact Ilenikhena would have in his first year in Belgium.
AdvertisementGettyThe big break
Ilenikhena's decision to join Antwerp was fuelled by a desire for regular minutes, and their strong track record when it comes to nurturing young players. Willian Pacho made a name for himself at Antwerp before earning interest from Liverpool for his performances at Eintracht Frankfurt, while Atletico Madrid lured teenage midfielder Arthur Vermeeren away from the club in January, and Ilenikhena is eager to tread a similar path.
“For me, Belgium is a stepping stone,” Ilenikhena has admitted to . “I said to myself that young and successful players explode there. But first, I must develop and collect experience.” He had to make do with a bit-part role at first, under the tutelage of former Barcelona and Netherlands star Marc van Bommel, but did indeed "explode" after scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-2 league defeat to Charleroi on October 21.
Ilenikhena scored eight goals in his next 11 appearances across all competitions, including a dramatic late winner against Barcelona in Antwerp's final Champions League group-stage game. Van Bommel's side had lost the reverse fixture 5-0, as well as all four games against Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto, which meant they were already out, but they stunned the Catalan giants at the The Bosuilstadion to post their first ever victory in the competition.
Fellow teenager Marc Guiu thought he'd secured a 2-2 draw for Barca when he headed in a 91st-minute equaliser, but Antwerp raced upfield again straight from the kick-off, and Ilenikhena had the final say on proceedings when he produced a composed side-foot finish after being played through one-on-one with Barca goalkeeper Pena Sotorres.
“I used to watch a lot of matches in the Champions League, I saw how players like Cristiano Ronaldo scored goals. Now I was there myself," an overwhelmed Ilenikhena said to after the final whistle. "That first moment after my goal… I couldn’t believe it.”
Ilenikhena also became the youngest French player to ever score in the Champions League at 17 years, 119 days old, and the second-youngest of any nationality after Barcelona's Ansu Fati. It was a special moment and one that really put him on the map as one of Europe's most exciting teenage talents.
GettyHow it's going
Unfortunately, Antwerp didn't finish the 2023-24 season well. Van Bommel watched his team relinquish their Jupiler Pro League crown in miserable fashion, as they suffered eight defeats in their 10 champions' play-off matches, and they were also beaten 1-0 by Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Cup final.
Still, Ilenikhena ended up with 14 goals from 50 appearances across all competitions – a very respectable tally considering only 16 of those outings came as a starter, with Vincent Janssen filling the first-choice centre-forward slot in the team.
One of those efforts gave Antwerp a vital 1-0 win away at Kortrijk on March 9, as Ilenikhena steered a low cross into the top corner after a clever piece of movement, which earned him special praise from his manager. "Once he gets the ball in the box… He has a nose for goals," said Van Bommel. "You either have that or you don't. George is a natural talent and reaches a very high level. If you look at his age… Yes, I think that he will be a very good one."
Antwerp took a risk when they invested in Ilenikhena, but it's paid off, and the sky is the limit for a player who doesn't turn 18 until August. If they do decide to sell him this summer, they stand to make a huge profit, especially if United formalise their interest.
GettyBiggest strengths
Ilenikhena is a traditional No.9 with superb instincts in front of goal, and he boasts an imposing physical frame that makes it very difficult for defenders to push him off the ball. He's also quick, intelligent with his runs in behind and technically superb, which allows him to strike the perfect balance between poacher and target man.
The Frenchman, who is also eligible to play for Nigeria, has all the attributes to become a world-class striker in the future, including a winner's mentality. “I’m not thinking about a plan B – in my head, I tell myself that I have to succeed,” he has said when quizzed on his approach to matches. “The phrase that represents me: ‘Either I win or I learn.’ I don’t like losing, I’m a competitor.”
For a big man, Ilenikhena is surprisingly agile, and his left foot is deadly. He tends to take the ball early when he gets a sight of goal in a bid to catch goalkeepers off guard, and only needs a yard of space to make a decisive impact.