The summer transfer window has been a disappointing one for Manchester United so far. Their saga with Borussia Dortmund for Jadon Sancho is dragging on and their reported bid for Monaco’s Benoît Badiashil has been rejected.
On a more positive note, they completed the signing of Donny van de Beek, and have been offered the chance to sign Sergio Reguilón, according to reports from Fabrizio Romano.
Looking at the other teams in the top four, its obvious Manchester United need to improve. With their current squad situation, should signing a new left-back be a priority?
Sergio Reguilón to Manchester United: Should it be a Priority?
Strength in Depth
In the fullback positions, Manchester United currently have a lot of options. On the right, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is the undisputed starter, with Diogo Dalot and youngster Ethan Laird as a back-up. Luke Shaw is United’s only pure first-team left-back. Adding to the depth are Brandon Williams and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who are right-footed but have shown the ability to play on both sides.
Moreover, the Red Devils are reportedly on the verge of confirming the signing of two new fullbacks to their youth setup. Right-back Marc Jurado and left-back Alvaro Fernandez turned down contract offers from Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively to join United’s renowned academy. While still young at 16 and 17-years-old respectively, Jurado and Fernandez add depth to a position where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already has options.
Therefore, decisions need to be made by the Norwegian manager. Interest has previously been shown by Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain for Portuguese right-back Dalot. It could be time to move on some rotation players to improve the squad.
This brings the question: should Manchester United wait for youth development, or take a chance by selling some players to buy others? High-quality rotation players can be found at every top club in the world, which is what United aspire to be. It could be time to make a move to bring Reguilón to Manchester, even if it means younger players not getting a chance.
The Numbers
This season, on loan at Sevilla from Real Madrid, Reguilón took part in 31 matches in La Liga. The Spaniard contributed four assists to his club and attempted 3.69 crosses per 90. He has also added 2.30 shot-creating actions per match to his impressive attacking statistics. Defensively, the left-back completed 2.04 tackles and 1.36 interceptions per 90 in Spain’s top flight.
Manchester United’s current left-back’s stats are not as impressive. Playing in 24 Premier League matches, Luke Shaw didn’t create any assists for his club. The England international attempted 1.92 crosses and made 2.18 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. On the defensive side, Shaw completed 1.76 tackles and 1.14 interceptions per 90. The only advantage for United’s fullback is experience in England.
Brandon Williams also shared some of the load on the left flank this season. In 17 league matches, the Englishman attempted 1.17 crosses every 90 minutes. His defensive actions are not at the level of Shaw and Reguilón, but he has shown great potential. The 19-year-old is also right-footed, which makes the left-back position unnatural for him.
According to Transfermarkt, the Spanish left-back’s market value stands at around £25 million. In the current market, this price tag is a bargain for a player of his quality. At 23-years-old, he would also be able to play for many years and keep improving. It might be time for the board to move to make Reguilón to Manchester United happen.
Where is Sergio Reguilón in Manchester United’s List of Priorities?
Jadon Sancho has always looked like United’s priority in this window. Nevertheless, the English winger has expressed his happiness at Dortmund. Manchester United have also completed a move for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek, which will improve their midfield depth but takes away money from the budget.
Solskjaer needs to make other improvements to his squad. A center-back could take priority, as the team needs more pace in defence to deal with quick attackers. RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano seems to be linked with the club and would solve this problem. Unfortunately, the French defender recently signed a new contract with the German club
Nevertheless, instead of a centre back, Manchester United could turn their attention towards Sergio Reguilón who could be a great signing for the club. With the current state of the economy, they need to make sure it doesn’t stop them from making much-needed improvements elsewhere.
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