Manchester United sources told The Athletic that a slightly smaller professional development phase group — the players who transition between the under-18 and under-21 squads — was also a factor in the decision.
The club were among the later arrivals in the EFL Trophy, not entering until 2019 after the competition was revamped in 2016 to allow Premier League academy sides to participate. The change was controversial at the time, with opposition from supporters of the smaller clubs the competition was originally designed for.
As recently as November 2024, United under-21s coach Travis Binnion — who has since joined Michael Carrick's senior staff after Carrick signed a two-year contract as permanent manager — described the Trophy as providing some of the best development games available to academy players.
United failed to progress from the group stage in either competition last season, playing ten matches across both before Christmas. They will now play at least eight games in the UEFA Youth League, which is for under-19 sides, as well as continuing their involvement in the Premier League Under-21 International Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals last season before losing to Real Madrid at Old Trafford.
The club said a decision on their 2027-28 youth games programme would be taken at a later stage.
Meanwhile, talks are ongoing to extend Adam Lawrence's stay as under-21 manager. Lawrence returned to United after briefly leaving for Newcastle, following Binnion's promotion to the first-team setup.