Kieran Trippier could still be a shrewd investment for Manchester United
Manchester United have reportedly dropped their interest in Trippier following his ban for breaching betting rules.
With Timothy Fosu-Mensah leaving the club to join Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester United were reportedly close to making a move for the former Spurs man.
But the 30-year-old was handed a 10-week ban before Christmas by the English FA, for asking his friends to bet on him moving to Atletico Madrid in the days leading up to his move to Spain from Tottenham in 2019.
The ban has since been lifted by FIFA though, and Trippier started at right wing-back for Diego Simeone in the win against Sevilla.
Although United have cooled their interest because of the controversy surrounding him, Trippier could end up being a very clever investment if the club hierarchy change their mind before the transfer deadline.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is currently short on right backs, after youth team prospect Ethan Laird also joined MK Dons on a loan deal. Brandon Williams is now the only backup option for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but the 20-year-old seems to have fallen down the pecking order after his breakout campaign in 2019/20.
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While Wan-Bissaka continues to be one of the best defensive full-backs in the division, he still has a lot to work on going forward. His crossing is far from sufficient for a team of Manchester United’s ambitions, although his link-up play has improved since last season.
Given that United have more attack-minded players on the left in Luke Shaw and Alex Telles, the Red Devils seem imbalanced with the former Crystal Palace man on the right.
The 23-year-old is still an un-droppable player when it comes to the big matches, but signing an offensive right back while he works on the attacking side of his game would make sense.
Trippier might be on the wrong side of 30 now, but is still very much an elite full back. Being a regular starter for Atletico is proof of that – Simeone’s men sit on top of the LaLiga table with two games in hand over cross-town rivals Madrid.
And in spite of the profusion of right backs at England’s disposal – Wan-Bissaka, Alexander-Arnold, Lamptey, Walker, Cash to name a few – he has managed to remain Gareth Southgate‘s first choice for the national team.
Atletico signed him for just £20 million plus add-ons in 2019, and his market value hasn’t really gone up since then despite his performances. A sub-£15 million deal for a player of his quality would be a coup for United.
Trippier would bring a completely different option to the table for Solskjær. He might not possess bags of pace like Wan-Bissaka, but he is an intelligent and versatile player going forward with a killer cross.
His set-piece abilities are top notch, providing a right-footed alternative to Telles from corners. He also has bundles of Premier League appearance, which is always welcome.
Trippier could act as a mentor for United’s promising young full backs, and provide a quality alternative in the short term against low blocks that the Reds struggle to unlock. It presumably wouldn’t be hard to convince him to return to England, and for the right price, it should be a no-brainer.
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Its hard to see United changing their stance on him in the next 2 weeks, although he would still be a viable option next summer.