Aaron Wan-Bissaka reportedly wants to stay and fight for his place at Manchester United, but faces a battle to win over incoming Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag.
The right-back has largely failed to convince since moving to Old Trafford from Crystal Palace in a £50 million deal in 2019, despite making a promising start for the club. According to Jonathan Shrager, Wan-Bissaka intends to speak with ten Hag when the new manager arrives in order to find out whether he fits into the Dutchman’s plans.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka Wants to Speak With Erik ten Hag to Determine Manchester United Future
Defender Endured Torrid Season at Old Trafford
Much was expected of Wan-Bissaka when he made his big-money move to Manchester United. Though there was a general acceptance at the time that the Old Trafford club had overpaid in order to acquire the player’s services, then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thought he had addressed the side’s right-back position for the next decade in a transfer that would justify the fee in the long-term.
However, over the course of a particularly difficult 2021/22 season for the club and player – in which Solskjaer lost his job and interim manager Ralf Ragnick has failed to oversee an upturn in fortunes – Wan-Bissaka has been linked with an exit from Old Trafford much sooner than anticipated.
As the season draws to a close, Portugal international Diogo Dalot has emerged as the club’s first-choice in the right-back position. The fact that the 23-year-old is a year younger than Wan-Bissaka, added to the greater attacking threat that the former Porto player possesses with the ball at his feet, only adds to the uncertainty surrounding Wan-Bissaka’s future.
How Wan-Bissaka Can Win Over Incoming Manager ten Hag
If the former Crystal Palace man is to make an impression and justify a place in the side under Erik ten Hag, he will need to work quickly if he is to earn a place in the new manager’s regime.
Before taking up a consultancy role at Old Trafford, Ralf Ragnick is expected to pass on his knowledge and opinions of the squad to the man who will replace him in the dugout. This will allow ten Hag to be ruthless and decisive in shifting unwanted players out of the door as soon as he arrives in his new surroundings.
It must be stressed, however, that Wan-Bissaka is certainly not alone is his struggles at Manchester United this season, with defensive players in particular suffering collective dips in form. Like some of his collegues in the first-team squad, he may be afforded a clean slate by the new manager at the start of next season. If that is the case, the 24-year-old has to seize his chance.
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