Nicky Butt wants to add more promising talent to Manchester United's youth ranks in the summer

Manchester United's head of academy Nicky Butt is aiming to attract some of Europe's best young players to the club over the summer.

United States youth international defender Matthew Olosunde, 18, recently signed a deal at Old Trafford after moving from the academy at New York Red Bulls.

With manager Louis van Gaal fielding a number of teenagers this season including the likes of Marcus Rashford and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, hopes are high that more can follow.

Butt is keen to attract the most promising emerging talents from across the continent and told manutd.com: "We're short on a few numbers in the different age groups.

"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.

Marcus Rashford has scored five goals for United since making his first-team debut five weeks ago

"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."

"We've got some really fantastic young players at the club who are good people and good players. They are on a pathway into the first team and sometimes it comes a bit sooner than for others.

"It's something we're really proud of, when a lad gets into the first-team squad, and it is something we should all shout about. Maybe we don't do that enough and maybe we're a bit too modest.

"But no, we get on with it and get players in the first team and let everybody shout how good we are at pushing them through.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is another young player who has featured for United this season

"It's the aim for any football team to get your own youngsters on board and playing in the first team, regularly adding to the superstars that you buy in from all over the world.

"We've got a lot of good young players and we've seen quite a few of them this year. There are a lot more in the background.

"I'm quite comfortable we have a lot of good footballers. Maybe we need to add a few numbers to that and get a bit better on that side of it."