Manu Duah threw his head back in frustration.
It was a hot, sticky Texas summer evening, but the weather wasn’t the source of the San Diego FC youngster’s frustration. No, Duah, playing as a defensive midfielder just like he had in college before being drafted into MLS first overall, had just sent a pass directly into the path of Petar Musa. Musa, of course, is one of MLS’s deadliest strikers. Crucially, he doesn’t play for San Diego. Duah was forced to watch as his errant backpass turned into a goal for FC Dallas. Just a few minutes later, head coach Mikey Varas took the now-21-year-old off the field at halftime.
It’s safe to say there are a few ways Duah’s first MLS start could’ve gone better.
Still, San Diego’s trust in the Ghanaian remained. A few weeks after his first taste of starting minutes, Duah was back in Varas’ lineup. This time, though, he was playing center back. After getting a taste of the role in an un-televised friendly against Club America earlier in the summer, Duah embraced the role — and started to shine.
Ever since, he’s become one of highest-potential young players MLS has seen and has been the subject of in-person scouting from Champions League-level clubs, according to The Athletic.
Not everything has been perfect for the defender. His form, along with San Diego’s, dipped earlier this year. But Duah’s promise is clear.
Here’s why those major European teams are keeping their eyes on Duah.
Using the ball to put opponents into lose-lose situations
When you put pen to paper on a San Diego FC contract, you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into: lots and lots (and lots) of building out from the back.
“You won't see us play long out of a goal kick,” Tyler Heaps, the club’s sporting director, prophetically proclaimed to Backheeled ahead of San Diego’s expansion season. No team in recorded MLS history posted more passes in their defensive third than the newcomers did in 2025, as per American Soccer Analysis. And the sophomore side is on pace to break that record in 2026. Whether he’s playing as the right- or left-sided center back in San Diego’s fluid back four possession shape, Duah is tasked with moving the ball deep in his own third while staring down a high press.
