Aaron Wan-Bissaka Edges Closer To Manchester United Exit

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crystal Palace, AS Roma

Manchester United will look to resolve the Aaron Wan-Bissaka situation in the winter transfer window following his failed attempts to leave Old Trafford in the summer.

West Ham United, Crystal Palace and AS Roma were amongst the clubs to enquire about the former Palace defender, but in the end, the Man Utd board persuaded new manager Erik ten Hag to keep the player for a bit longer. Wan-Bissaka’s future at the club remains uncertain, so there could be an opportunity for the Premier League clubs to snap him up when the transfer window opens again in the middle of the season.

Despite Wan-Bissaka’s struggles during his time at Old Trafford, he looked like a hugely promising young player during his Palace days, and it might be that he could revive his career at a new club. The full-back has only made one appearance in the Premier League this season as Diogo Dalot has been preferred by Ten Hag.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka playing for Manchester United, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United — Image Obtained Via Teamtalk

Crystal Palace Career

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was a member of the Crystal Palace academy from the age of 11 and signed a professional contract with the club in December 2016. On February 25, 2018, he made his senior debut for the Eagles against Tottenham Hotspur due to multiple injuries in the Palace first-team. The match ended in a 1–0 defeat for Crystal Palace.

The 24-year-old burst onto the scene properly in the 2018/19 season at Selhurst Park, becoming known for his exceptional 1v1 defending and great tackling skills. These qualities were marketed to their full potential, especially because then manager Roy Hodgson used suitable tactics which accentuated Wan-Bissaka’s defending ability against strong opponents.

He was primarily responsible for maintaining his position in the back-four and then pressing any opponent who came into his zone. Since the Palace defence was constantly under pressure, a defensive-minded player like Wan-Bissaka looked like a world-class player because of his tackles and blocks.

At the end of the 2018-19 campaign, Wan-Bissaka was named the Crystal Palace Player of the Year for his exceptional displays throughout a difficult season for the club.

Manchester United’s Right-back Problem

When he joined United, the fans knew what to expect from him defensively and his place in the starting line-up was confirmed immediately. Wan-Bissaka’s offensive traits were much more of a mystery back then and unfortunately, the doubts about his ability going forward have not been proven wrong yet.

His defensive stats match with some of the best in the Premier League, including the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ruben Dias and Cesar Azpilicueta. But in regards to attacking down the right wing and putting a ball into the box for strikers, he seems to be struggling quite a bit.

The problem for him is that players in his position like Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold are registering several assists and goals per season. Pundits now feel that the £50m fee paid by Manchester United for AWB was a lot to gamble on a player without testing his attacking output, which is a must for a modern-day full-back.

United board need to sign a player suited to Erik ten Hag’s tactics and philosophy. The new right-back would most likely be expected to improve United’s attacking output by being an additional goal-threat. Moreover, being a player unafraid to receive the ball whilst possessing an intelligent understanding of movement and space is something that the current United full-back cannot replicate up to the mark.

Moreover, Wan-Bissaka has been constantly ignored by England manager Gareth Southgate too because of his inability to cross the ball. Dalot seems to have solved the problem in terms of putting in crosses, and his defensive abilities have looked sharper in the last couple of matches.

Ex-Man Utd player Paul Parker does not think that Wan-Bissaka has been taught to play as a full-back.

“But, it is about what he is learning. How is he going to change his game to improve as a full-back as Wan-Bissaka for Manchester United? As a full-back for Crystal Palace, when you play for Manchester United, it is a different kind of full-back. Dalot has proven himself. His all-around game has improved defensively.”

However, United did not let him leave in the summer as they were unable to secure a replacement. They were linked with Sergino Dest before the deadline day but the ex-Barcelona man joined AC Milan on loan.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka could well be offered a fresh escape route though as Man Utd are now reportedly looking to sign Santiago Arias. The Columbian international spent five years in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven between 2013 and 2018. Ten Hag saw a lot of Arias during this spell as the defender played 172 times for the Dutch outfit (stats via transfermarkt).

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