Man United having academy assessed in hope of category one status

Manchester United's academy is undergoing an audit from a Belgian company with expertise in youth development.

The Premier League has appointed Double PASS to carry out the assessment, with the company headed by former banker Hugo Schoukens, a licensed academy director who used to work for Anderlecht and the Royal Belgian Football Association.

Clubs' academies are independently assessed to give them a category status, ranging from one -- the best rating -- down to four. A higher category placing means more funding will be available from the Premier League.

Due to confidentiality reasons, there is no indication yet as to how United might score, with the process ongoing.

Documents are reviewed by Double PASS computers, then a team of assessors interview staff and look into training sessions and games.

The timing of the result of the audit is not yet known, but it is expected that the Premier League will make a central announcement about all clubs.

Nicky Butt, a former United midfielder, took charge of the club's academy in February.

Several young players who were academy products have been promoted into the first team over the course of this season, including Marcus Rashford and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.

On Monday night, only two of United's under-21 starting XI -- which drew 1-1 against Chelsea -- had not already played in the first team.

Arindam is ESPN FC's Manchester United correspondent. Follow him @ARejSport