Aside from a new centre-forward addition, Manchester United also appear to be prioritising the acquisition of a new right-back recruit this month, with manager Erik ten Hag continuing his squad overhaul at Old Trafford.
That search for a new full-back has come amid the continued uncertainty surrounding the future of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the former Crystal Palace man – who joined the Red Devils on a £50m deal back in 2019 – having been deemed surplus to requirements heading into the window.
Although the 25-year-old may well have “rescued” his career at the club after starting the last three Premier League games, according to journalist Steve Bates, it may take more than a handful of appearances for the Englishman to truly reverse his fortunes at the Theatre of Dreams.
Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has insisted that United still “want” to cash in on the defender sooner rather than later, with the £90k-per-week dud having even been tipped for an exit as far back as last summer.
The once-promising talent – who pundit Jamie Carragher previously described as the “best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world” – has struggled to impress in the red jersey after providing just 13 goal involvements in 131 appearances to date, having previously been branded “useless” by club legend Paul Scholes for his woes on the ball.
Should the London-born menace move on any time soon – amid interest from the likes of West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and former club Palace – United could well secure a suitable upgrade in the form of Lyon starlet, Malu Gusto.
The Daily Mail reported last month that Ten Hag and co – as well as Newcastle United – are interested in the 19-year-old, while journalist Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now seemingly confirmed that the club are monitoring the teenager.
The transfer insider stated over the weekend: “Malo Gusto in particular is attracting a lot of interest in England. Man Utd are quite keen on him as well. These are players who get circulated at the same time, as agents start doing their work, and they’re always ones you have to bear in mind.”
The youngster – who could command a fee of around £35m – has likely put himself on the Red Devils’ radar as a result of his sparkling form in France of late, having already racked up six assists in 53 games at senior level thus far despite his youth.
That would indicate that he is likely on course to better Wan-Bissaka’s tally of goal involvements in the coming years, with the “special” talent – as lauded by one source – offering real quality in the final third.
That is also evidenced by the fact that the Frenchman ranks in the top 16% in Europe for assists among those in his position, while the current United man ranks in just the bottom 9% for that same metric.
Equally, Gusto appears far more composed on the ball as he ranks in the top 15% for pass completion, while Wan-Bissaka ranks in just the top 32% to illustrate his woes in possession.
Although the latter man has a knack for winning the ball back as he averages 2.72 interceptions per game, young Gusto is not too far behind in that regard as he averages 1.44 for interceptions made, showcasing that he can combine his attacking thrust with defensive stability.
For all Wan-Bissaka’s tackling strength, it may be more attractive to have an all-round package such as the Lyon man in Ten Hag’s ranks, with the Dutchman likely to be craving a figure who can operate just as effectively at both ends of the pitch.
