{"id":287170,"date":"2023-08-30T08:38:06","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T08:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=287170"},"modified":"2023-08-30T08:38:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T08:38:06","slug":"who-can-solve-manchester-uniteds-left-back-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/soccer\/who-can-solve-manchester-uniteds-left-back-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Who can solve Manchester United's left-back crisis?"},"content":{"rendered":"
With less than a week left in the transfer window, Manchester United are scrambling to sign a left-back after\u00a0injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.<\/p>\n
The England international and his understudy are both expected to be out until November, meaning Alvaro Fernandez is the only nominal left-back at Erik ten Hag’s disposal.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old impressed on loan at Preston last season, but it would take a major leap faith from ten Hag to throw him in at the deep end in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
Diogo Dalot replaced Shaw at left-back against Nottingham Forest, but the Portuguese is a right-back by trade and looked ill-suited to operate on the opposite flank.<\/p>\n
It has left United linked with a plethora of left-backs and little time to conclude a deal before Friday’s transfer deadline\u00a0and, as Mail Sport<\/span> reported today, United have a restricted budget but want a full-back who can fit into ten Hag’s style immediately.<\/p>\n Here, Mail Sport<\/span> takes a look at the possible candidates to solve United’s left-back crisis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erik ten Hag is looking to sign a left-back after injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrrel Malacia<\/p>\n Marc Cucurella<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Cucurella,\u00a0who has played 59 Premier League games for Brighton and Chelsea over the last two seasons, is available for loan and has emerged as the most likely candidate to solve United’s left-back issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Spaniard is yet to appear in the Premier League this season and\u00a0United made enquiries for the defender over the weekend, as Mail Sport reported on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mauricio Pochettino has been impressed with Ian Maatsen and the club would prefer to let Cucurella go at this stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n One Brighton’s best players under Graham Potter, the Spaniard fell well short of justifying his \u00a360million price-tag as he followed his former manager up the A23 last season.<\/p>\n Despite an underwhelming campaign, according to WhoScored data\u00a0no other left-back in the Premier League among those who played at least 10 matches made averages as many tackles per game as his 2.8.<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 4\/5.<\/span> Probably United’s best bet in terms of availability and talent, last season notwithstanding.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marc Cucurella has emerged as the leading candidate to solve United’s left-back crisis<\/p>\n Nicolas Tagliafico<\/span><\/p>\n The latest entry in United’s search for a new left-back is a name ten Hag knows well, having managed him at Ajax where the Argentine won three league titles.<\/p>\n The 30-year old, who cost Lyon just \u00a33.5m last summer, was part of Argentina’s World Cup winning team with United’s Lisandro Martinez and has been praised in the past by Ten Hag for his character and professionalism.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unlike some of United’s other targets, however, Tagliafico\u00a0is playing regularly for Lyon so the French side would want a loan with obligation to buy at least.<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 3.5\/5.<\/span> Knows ten Hag well, is a proven winner and is used to play alongside Martinez. The downside is he may need time to adjust to the Premier League and ten Hag’s signings from Ajax have been hit and miss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ten Hag knows Nicolas Tagliafico well from his days at Ajax, where the Argentine won three league titles under the current United manager\u00a0<\/p>\n Rico Henry<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n On Monday, Mail Sport reported United had made initial checks into Henry’s situation and potential availability.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old has been a consistent and impressive performer for Brentford since joining from Walsall in 2016.<\/p>\n He missed just one Premier League game last season and has started all three of Brentford\u2019s games so far this term.<\/p>\n Figures from Opta show that Henry has created the third-most chances per game this season of any Brentford player with one, while Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have created 1.5 and 1.46 chances per game respectively.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rico Henry has been linked with a move to United, but Brentford are unlikely to let the 26-year-old go before the end of the season\u00a0<\/p>\n Henry has represented England at under-19 and under-20 level and Mail Sport understands he is in contention for a first England call-up this week, with Gareth Southgate watching him in action for Brentford\u2019s season opener against Tottenham.<\/p>\n Convincing Brentford to part ways with the left-back, however, would be neither straightforward nor cheap as he is contracted to Brentford until at least 2026.<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 3.5\/5.<\/span> Would be an excellent signing, but Brentford are unlikely to let him go so late.<\/p>\n Sergio Reguilon<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n United were first linked with Reguilon three years ago, but the Real Madrid full-back signed for Tottenham for \u00a327.5million instead.<\/p>\n The Spaniard made his Premier League debut as Spurs dismantled United 6-1 on Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford and went on to play 52 games in his first two seasons.<\/p>\n After falling out of favour with Antonio Conte, Reguilon spent last season on loan at Atletico Madrid, but missed a combined three months with groin and hamstring injuries.<\/p>\n Only two of his 12 appearances in all competitions came in the starting XI and he’s now seemingly consider surplus to requirements at Spurs.<\/p>\n On the plus side, the Spaniard is only 26 and wouldn’t need to settle in the Premier League.\u00a0<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 3\/5.<\/span> Spurs have made him available, but he has not exactly pulled up trees in the past two seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spurs have made Sergio Reguilon available in this transfer window\u00a0<\/p>\n Luke Thomas<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n On Monday, Mail Sport reported Luke Thomas could come into the reckoning for United as ten Hag looks to solve his left-back crisis.<\/p>\n Leeds United have asked about signing the Leicester City defender on loan but the Foxes are reluctant to deal with a direct rival.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the England U21 international, who has made 53 Premier League appearances in past three seasons, is weighing up his options.<\/p>\n While less experienced than some of the other candidates on United’s list, Thomas would be relatively cheap and fit the mould of young players Ten Hag likes to work with.\u00a0<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 3\/5.<\/span> An intriguing prospect, but may not be the ready-made solution ten Hag wants.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Luke Thomas could come into the reckoning as ten Hag looks to solve his left-back crisis<\/p>\n Leonardo Spinazzola<\/span><\/p>\n According to Sky Italia, United are monitoring the Roma left-back as they look for alternatives to Luke Shaw.<\/p>\n Spinazzola has recovered from the Achilles injury he suffered in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 against Spain, but a move to Old Trafford would be a surprise.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old is a crucial cog in Jose Mourinho’s side and made 40 appearances in all competitions last season, as the Giallorossi reached the Europa League final.<\/p>\n A versatile player, Spinazzola can play both on the left of midfield and at left-back but it seems unlikely Roma would let him go so late in the window.\u00a0<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 2\/5<\/span>. An excellent signing if he could replicate the form he showed at Euro 2020, but one unlikely to happen as Roma look desperate to hold on to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Leonardo Spinazzola (right) has emerged as a surprise target for United, according to Sky Italia<\/p>\n Marcos Alonso<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Marcos Alonso, one of Cucurella’s predecessors at Stamford Bridge, is also on United’s radar but is seemingly determined to remain at Barcelona.<\/p>\n According to Spanish outlet Marca, United approached the Blaugrana last week to sign the 32-year-old on loan for this season.<\/span><\/p>\n The Red Devils offered Alonso a two-year deal, which would have seen him remain at Old Trafford after his current contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Marcos Alonso has reportedly turned down a two-year deal from United this week\u00a0<\/p>\n Ryan Bertrand<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n Marcos Alonso isn’t the only former Chelsea left-back linked with a move to Old Trafford, as Ryan Bertrand also falls in the category.<\/p>\n The 34-year-old defender has been without a club since his contract with Championship side Leicester City expired earlier this summer.<\/p>\n Bertrand\u00a0did not make a single appearance last season due to a knee injury, but has now recovered and trained with Chelsea’s loan development group last week.<\/p>\n Suitability rating: 0\/5<\/span>.\u00a0United have precedents when it comes to sign veterans on deadline day, but this would be a step too far even for them.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Who can solve Manchester United’s left-back crisis? With a tight budget and time running out Marc Cucurella could be a shrewd emergency signing, or will […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287169,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"