Manchester United add an important piece to the puzzle with the signing of Wan-Bissaka from Palace…
Good things come to those who wait, or so they say. After recent negotiations with Crystal Palace over 21-year old stud defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United confirmed on Saturday the signing of the English product for £50 million on a five-year deal
Said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, “Aaron is one of the best upcoming defenders in the Premier League. He has the right work ethic, talent and mentality to play for Manchester United and he fits exactly the type of player that we are looking to bring into the squad to help us improve and push on further.”
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Wan-Bissaka lead all Premier League defenders in tackles last season (129) and has quickly risen up the ranks of England’s U-20 and U-21 sides with a promotion to Gareth Southgate’s senior squad looming in the near future.
After sitting in the top half of the league in goals conceded last season (54), Wan-Bissaka’s arrival at Old Trafford is a step in the right direction for a club that struggled to find an identity last season and at times lacked the competitive edge many have come to expect from a United team.
So what does the signing of Wan-Bissaka do for a varied cast of defenders at United? Well, for one, Ashley Young might be out of a job. The 33-year old converted wing back turned in a mixed-bag of performances last year, leaving a lot to be desired in the defensive third. With a cog in the machine like Wan-Bissaka, United are gaining a lock down defender, to borrow an American football term; someone who is going to stay at home more often than not than United fans saw from Young last season.
What still remains to be seen from United this off-season however is what they intend to do about their centre-back dilemma. The likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, <a rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" href="https://fbref.com/en/players/f5deef4c/Victor-Lindelof?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-” onclick=”sr_record_analytics_event(‘newsfeed_click’,”, sr_record_directory(),’sr_tracker’);”>Victor Lindelöf and Eric Bailly certainly didn’t live up to United’s lofty standards last season and with a relatively short window left in the summer transfer period and a dwindling budget that has been given to Solskjaer, they may have to opt for cheaper solutions than a Harry Maguire from Leicester City or Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli. Either way, the signing of Wan-Bissaka will provide United with some relief in the back end that they so badly needed to address.