Manchester United’s ‘Best One On One Defender’ In Demand

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, once dubbed the “best one-on-one defender” in the world by Jamie Carragher, is once again capturing the interest of Manchester United’s Premier League rivals. As reported by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the 26-year-old right-back is attracting sustained interest from West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka Attracting Interest From Other Premier League Clubs

Uncertainty Persists Over The Right Back’s Future

According to Luckhurst, Wan-Bissaka is not in Erik ten Hag’s long-term plans, with the English full-back’s character having been called into question on multiple occasions by the Dutchman.

Even if the Crystal Palace academy graduate’s defensive prowess is beyond reproach, there are still questions about his attacking game and his commitment to media duties and fan engagement, the latter is especially compared to Diogo Dalot, who is the main competition for the right-back position.

Tactical Issues

As mentioned above, Wan-Bissaka’s attacking game is still inferior to Dalot’s and indeed Luke Shaw on the other side of the Manchester United defence. Although there have been some signs of improvement, Ten Hag’s game plan necessitates full-backs prepared to maraud forward and offer width as the inverted wingers cut inside onto their stronger foot.

Whilst nowhere near the sole cause of his current malaise, Antony’s game would surely benefit from that kind of overlapping support, the kind that Shaw provides on the left flank, in turn bringing out the best in Marcus Rashford.

Defining Summer

Despite the club triggering a contract extension that, in theory, would keep him at Old Trafford until Summer 2025, the consensus is that this is merely to preserve Wan Bissaka’s resale value, something that Manchester United have struggled to do with other players over the past decade. Whilst unlikely to move on in January, this summer could be a defining period for.