Manchester United among clubs in for ditched kids as Premier League big boys circle Huddersfield's academy

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Leading Premier League clubs are looking to take advantage of Huddersfield's decision to close their academy by recruiting some of the young players released in the shake-up for nothing.

Manchester United have invited 15 boys of various ages under 16 for trials ahead of potentially signing them up at no cost. Four were due to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly for the Under 14s on Monday night.

Manchester City, Everton, and Liverpool are also in the market for the young players, who are effectively free agents after Huddersfield confirmed news to parents last Friday.

David Wagner's Huddersfield are having their youngsters targeted by the leading clubs

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho hopes to take advantage and bolster the youth ranks

Huddersfield made the bold call to downgrade their academy from category two status to category four – only keeping under–23 and under–18 squads – having seen scant success in its 19–year existence.

The club will reinvest the £500,000 saving in annual running costs but the timing of the move has caused surprise given signs of encouragement were beginning to show.

Rocco Fragapane and Raj Mahmood both earned England Under 16 call-ups but are now free to decide where to go next, with United inviting them in for a closer look. Harvey Rowe and Sam Murray are in at Carrington too and also being pursued by City, Liverpool and Everton.

Normally if a young player moved from one club to another a compensation fee would be due but in these cases forms can be signed without money being paid to Huddersfield. Last summer Huddersfield benefitted from funds when Liverpool signed Under 11 Ronal Young.

England youth internationals Jordan Williams and Ryan Schofield are promising products

Philip Billing is the only academy graduate in David Wagner's first-team squad having been signed from Esbjerg in Denmark as a 16-year-old in 2013. But the 21-year-old promises to be a big success story, having started four Premier League games so far. Huddersfield rejected an £8million bid from Swansea for the central midfielder this summer.

Further shoots of reward in the now-dispensed system can be seen in 17-year-olds Jordan Williams and Ryan Schofield. Full-back Williams is an England Under 17 international who was the subject of a failed £250,000 bid from City last summer, and is currently on loan at League One Bury.

Goalkeeper Schofield helped England win this summer's Toulon Tournament by saving in the penalty shoot-out in the final and was promoted to Huddersfield's senior squad this summer. Schofield followed in the footsteps of goalkeeping coach Paul Clements, who was promoted.

Huddersfield have told parents that age-group games will continue as long as there are enough players to complete fixtures.

Sportsmail first broke the news chairman Dean Hoyle was considering closing Huddersfield's academy on September 5 and it was confirmed by the club last Friday. Hoyle said: 'Our academy system must provide a strong and obvious pathway to the first team for players who are good enough, whilst also representing value for the club. Upon review, this is not something that we could claim.

'This decision has been the biggest we have undertaken in my time as chairman, and not an easy one. However, we cannot be afraid of change. This is a vital area to the long-term success of this club and we must make every effort to get this right.'