5 players Manchester United should sign in January
#3: Patrick Van Aanholt (Crystal Palace)
When it comes to the left-back position, Jordi Alba is the name Manchester United want at Old Trafford. That is quite understandable since the Barcelona man is easily amongst the top 3 left-backs in the world at the moment. However, even though United have shown their interest in signing him in January, Alba’s arrival might have its share of negativities.
Luke Shaw has experienced a bright start to the season and has been a regular in the United side. Signing Jordi Alba would mean sidelining him to the bench which is kind of an injustice, given how he has started showing his true colours this season. The 23-year-old deserves to be on the pitch more than anyone else, given his nightmarish and injury-marred history at Old Trafford.
For his potential to maximise, Shaw needs to play maximum minutes and therefore, it would be more prudent for Mourinho to look for an able deputy for the budding Englishman. Patrick van Aanholt could be the ideal deputy for Luke Shaw in this case.
The Dutch left-back is known for his lightning speed and making overlapping runs during attacks. He is a strong interceptor of the ball, averaging 1.3 interceptions per game. He also has good dribbling abilities, not to mention the fact that he is an indirect set-piece threat and good with long shots.
Although, it would be a tedious task to convince van Aanholt to leave his place as a first-choice left-back at Crystal Palace and act as a cover for Luke Shaw at Manchester United. However, there’s no tinge of doubt that the 28-year-old will be far better and more original deputy than Ashley Young.