Girona

The five areas Manchester United must address this summer – Left-Back - Man United News And Transfer News


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As part of a series exploring where Manchester United need to focus their recruitment drive this summer, The Peoples Person will offer five articles across five days, explaining why a particular position must be prioritised, and why a specific player is the ideal target for the role.

An article a day until any worries about the United squad drift away.

With the upcoming transfer window constituting the first major test of the INEOS revolution at Old Trafford, it is imperative the club’s new leadership structure hit the mark this summer with new signings. And with uncertainty over the long-term future of Erik ten Hag likely to continue until the end of the season, any players INEOS identify will have to possess quality and tactical flexibility in equal measure, to account for a potential managerial change.

So too will budgetary restraints be a factor.

As explained in greater detail here, INEOS are expected to be armed with a considerable war-chest for their first transfer window, but five different areas needing five different solutions means the club will need to be mindful with their money. The Peoples Person anticipate a budget in the region of £250 million, helped by sales and expensive contracts coming to an end.

Now, with these these stipulations in mind, as they were for yesterday’s first priority target in central defence, the second area United must upgrade this summer is one position over – left-back.

Left Back on the Treatment Table

United have been deprived of a healthy left-back for large parts of this season, leading to an almost impossible issue for Ten Hag to overcome.

The Dutchman’s undisputed first-choice, Luke Shaw, has been repeatedly absent with hamstring injury. He was ruled out for three months at the end of August, returning in November, before sustaining a relapse in February. This latest problem is likely to keep Shaw out until just before the end of the season, meaning the 28-year-old will have missed over six months of football this year.

This is not a novel situation for Shaw, however.

The England international has suffered enormously with injury during his time at Old Trafford. Since signing from Southampton in 2014, he has missed 253 games for club and country – an average of 28 games a year. While there has been undoubted misfortune involved in this time, chiefly the horrific double leg break Shaw sustained against PSV Eindhoven in 2015 which almost resulted in him losing his left leg, it’s a persistent problem unlikely to improve as he approaches his thirties.

In Shaw’s absence, Tyrell Malacia would have been expected to seize the opportunity of the starting berth with both hands. Except the back-up fullback has himself been ruled out for the entire season with an unexplained issue.

Malacia has not played for United since May 2023. He did not feature in the club’s pre-season tour of America last summer, nor has he made a single social media post since July. For all intents and purposes, the 24-year-old has vanished off the face of the earth. On February 15, Ten Hag indicated Malacia would soon ready to return to training, yet there has been no update on this five weeks later.

The combination means United’s manager has been devoid of both his senior and deputy left-backs this season.

In the final days of the summer window, a hastily-agreed loan move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Sergio Reguilon was sanctioned, to provide Ten Hag with an experienced fullback. A month after he swapped London for Manchester, the Spaniard was then ruled out with an injury, likely leading the club’s medical staff to wonder whether the left-back position was a cursed one at Old Trafford.

A last-ditch compromise Ten Hag could exercise would be to swap Diogo Dalot from right-back to left-back, as the Portuguese star has played on the opposite flank many times before. But his replacement on the right – Aaron Wan-Bissaka – has himself been ruled out with injury for nearly four months this year, with two separate issues.

If that list of absences was draining to read, imagine how draining it would be to manage day-to-day.

The Effect of No Left-Back

The negative impact of being without a natural left-back, or even an out-of-position right-back, has been stark. This has been further exacerbated by the absence of Lisandro Martinez – the first-choice left-sided centre-back, who has also missed the majority of the season with injury.

As a result of this weakness, often opposition teams have specifically targeted the left-hand side of United’s defence far more often than the right, as demonstrated in the picture above. Given Sofyan Amrabat and Victor Lindelof have been deployed there out-of-position at times, it’s easy to see why.

But the left-back position has not only impacted United defensively; it’s also been a detriment to the team’s attacking thrust as well.

Marcus Rashford single-handedly carried United’s attack last season.

30 goals and 11 assists across all competitions constituted the winger’s best return in a red shirt, who was promptly rewarded with a blockbuster new five-year deal in July. Yet, eight months on, there are reports linking the 26-year-old with a move away from Old Trafford, and large swathes of the fanbase would be more than happy to see him go.

As good as he was last season, Rashford has been the opposite this year.

Issues with behaviour have reared their ugly head, accompanied by accusations over the winger’s work-rate, commitment, and loyalty to Ten Hag. His form has improved in recent months, but is still a long way short of justifying his £325,000-a-week contract, and prominent standing, at one of the world’s biggest clubs.

But, though The Peoples Person is loathe to excuse what have been some inexcusable performances, Rashford is the type of winger – almost more an inside-forward – who requires a strong supporting presence from the fullback behind him in order to thrive.

The 26-year-old is lethal when he’s able to cut, or run, inside the opposition’s defence.

This tactic is made exponentially more effective by having a left-back overlap, or sometimes underlap, alongside him. It’s little wonder Rashford’s best year in a United shirt was accompanied by Shaw’s best season injury-wise (the left-back missed only three games in 2022/23).

Without his trusty team mate behind him, or Shaw’s deputy in Malacia, or even an out-of-position Dalot, Rashford’s form has gone to pot. Yet United remain overly dependent on the winger to provide the bulk of their attacking threat, despite the fact his performances do not justify this dependence.

The team’s abject form this season – both defensively and offensively – make some sense when viewed through the lens of how important the left-back position is for United; and the effect having neither of its senior options has produced on the pitch.

It is imperative the club does not allow this situation to happen again next year, regardless of who the manager is. Shaw’s injury-proneness will not improve, despite his obvious talent when fit, and Malacia’s future is a major doubt given his own issues with injury, as well as the fact he simply is not good enough from an attacking perspective to effectively deputise for the England international.

Left-Back over Right-Back

Despite the defensive chaos around him, Dalot has firmly established himself as one of United’s most important players this season, continuing to go from strength to strength under Ten Hag’s watch. The 25-year-old signed a new five-year deal last March, and is a front runner for the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award at the end of the year.

His positional rival, Wan-Bissaka, received an automatic one-year extension in his deal triggered by the club in December, and was excellent out-of-position against Mohammed Salah on Sunday in the pulsating FA Cup win – his first game back from injury. At a minimum, the former Crystal Palace man is a strong back-up option to Dalot moving forward, despite some of his technical limitations.

As such, while last summer many would have been expecting United to target a new right-back to provide an upgrade on one of these players, the pair have combined to ensure it is, in fact, left-back the club must prioritise this summer, despite Shaw being the best fullback at the club if fit.

This is a big if, however, hence the need for a better alternative, as the team’s collective performance nosedives without the 28-year-old.

The Number One Target 

This is the first choice United will have to make this summer where they target a less well-known option, in order to direct funds elsewhere.

While a defender like Theo Hernandez – the flying French fullback at AC Milan – would be an excellent signing, he would likely cost as much as £60 million. United simply do not have the budget to spend this amount, while also securing the four other players they desperately need this summer. Instead, Old Trafford officials should accept a more under-the-radar option, who will still constitute a significant upgrade on Malacia.

Enter Miguel of House Gutierrez.

Gutierrez, 22, has been a foundational piece of the impressive Girona team who are currently defying expectations in third place in La Liga. At various points this season, they have been leading the league through an exciting brand of relentless attacking football, despite the entire squad costing only £29 million to assemble.

The Spanish left-back, signed from Real Madrid in 2022, is at the heart of the positional rotation Michel – Girona’s manager – demands of his team. Gutierrez will often invert into midfield to help create numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch, or he will bomb forward, through a well-timed overlapping or underlapping run, to exploit a gap in the defence.

It requires a potent pairing of technical skill and tactical awareness to perform this demanding role as effectively as the 22-year-old has this year.

1 goal and 4 assists in La Liga do not do justice to Gutierrez’s creativity, ranking in the 91st percentile for npxG + xAG (non-penalty expected Goals + expected Assisted Goals) – essentially a convoluted way of representing how much of attacking threat a player produces, irrespective of penalties.

And which player at Old Trafford would benefit the most from the Spaniard’s contributions should he be signed? Rashford.

And, likewise, which player at Old Trafford can benefit United the most when in form? Rashford.

Another argument for prioritising a strong deputy left-back this summer, aside from providing much-needed cover for Shaw, is it would then enable the English fullback to switch inside to centre-back. There is no other defender at United who can provide the same attributes Martinez does in central defence, but Shaw comes by far the closest.

In the Argentine’s absence last year following his metatarsal injury against Sevilla in the Europe League, Shaw was imperious in central defence. His performances were a large part of the reason United were able to overcome a late wobble and comfortably secure Champions League qualification with a third place finish.

Without Shaw, as United often are because of his injuries, Ten Hag’s team are as dependent on Martinez at left centre-back as they are on Shaw himself at left-back. A player like Gutierrez would provide a single solution to this dual problem, while also offering a strong attacking threat from the bench should both first-choice defenders be fit and in form.

There is one major issue, however.

Real Madrid, the club Gutierrez came through as an academy graduate and left in 2022, retain a buy-back clause on their former player. While the 22-year-old has a €35 million (£30 million) release clause to any other prospective suitors, Los Blancos are able to sign him for just €8 million this summer.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team are likely to pursue a new left-back as well, with injury concerns over Ferland Mendy, and a Jude Bellingham-inspired formation, driving this desire. Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies is the Spanish giants’ first-choice target, but Gutierrez is likely to be on the short-list just behind the Canadian.

In fact, Real Madrid may simply choose to exercise this favourable clause, only to then sell Gutierrez themselves. Why allow Girona to sell him for €35 million when you could pay €8 million yourself, and then bank the extra €27 million from someone else?

Either scenario makes a pursuit of Gutierrez difficult from United’s perspective; as does Girona being part of the City Football Group – the same entity who own Manchester City.

As such, Old Trafford officials should be mindful of not engaging in an overly difficult process for a player who may never have a chance of joining them.

The Alternative 

United will not have to look too hard to find a suitable alternative to Gutierrez – they welcomed him to Old Trafford last month.

In February, Fulham comfortably outplayed United on course to a 2-1 win, with this score line actually flattering Ten Hag’s side to a degree. Central to this performance was the Cottager’s left-back – Antonee Robinson.

The 26-year-old American international, nicknamed Jedi, was superb against United, effectively locking down the left-hand side of the pitch. It’s something Fulham fans have grown expectant of this season as Robinson’s defensive statistics are very good. Very, very good.

He ranks in the 98th percentile for interceptions, 85th for tackles, and 84th for clearances and successful aerial duels respectively. Being an excellent interceptor is a particularly desirable trait for United given how well it translates to the press-heavy style Ten Hag has sought to establish this season.

Robinson is also physically proficient, standing 5’11 with an athletic frame, and combining speed and strength in equal measure. The fullback clocked in as one of the Premier League’s fastest defenders last season with a top speed of 35.34km/h. Rashford, widely seen as United’s most electric speedster, reached 35.95km/h by comparison.

But the Fulham defender is also adept with the ball – a prerequisite to be a fullback at a top club, and an area where Malacia is lacking. Robinson displays good ball-carrying skills and an eye for a pass, as demonstrated by his six assists in the league this year.

In recent weeks, Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have all been linked with the American international, underscoring how many clubs are beginning to take note of his impressive performances for Fulham.

Reports suggest a price of £35 million (comparable to Gutierrez) would be sufficient to prise the left-back from Craven Cottage, though United would likely have to act quickly and decisively to jump the growing queue for his services.

The Conclusion

Gutierrez is an attacking phenom who would add a great deal to United, particularly in the relationship he could quickly establish with Rashford.

His transfer fee, courtesy of a cheap release clause, his wages, and his reputation as an emerging talent all make him ideally suited to the role of Shaw’s alternative, in the way that someone like AC Milan’s Hernandez would not. And his tactical and technical strengths lend themselves to the type of system Ten Hag, or any new manager, would likely want their left-back to play in.

But the very real threat of Real Madrid looms large this summer.

Consequently, United should make an approach to Girona early in the window to establish the viability of a deal. If they meet resistance, or catch wind of interest from the Spanish capital, Old Trafford officials can then quickly change tac, and instead pursue Fulham’s Robinson. Both players offer different strengths, but the same type of upgrade desperately needed to better balance United’s defence, at similar-ish price tags.

Essentially, the club cannot miss with either option.

Tomorrow The Peoples Person runs the gauntlet over which right-wing option United must target this summer, and explains why INEOS’ top pick would likely prove the first grave mistake of their reign at Old Trafford.

Antonee RobinsonLuke ShawMiguel GutierrezTyrell Malacia

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