According to a vital new update on his future, Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is free to leave the club this summer.
The Englishman has been in and out of United’s lineup this season, playing more lately but seldom feeling like a significant player. He has only made 12 Premier League games, nine of which have been starts, and Diogo Dalot has been seen as the greater option when healthy.
To be fair to Wan-Bissaka, his recent performances have been decent on the whole, with the 25-year-old contributing to his team’s top-four drive, averaging 1.9 tackles per game in the league overall. With his current United contract ending at the end of next season, the club must make a huge choice this summer, knowing that this is their final opportunity to pay him well.
As a result, an Old Trafford exodus seems to be becoming more possible, particularly with the release of a new upgrade.
Erik ten Hag, according to Football Insider, has told Wan-Bissaka that he is “free to depart this summer,” since he does not view him as a part of Manchester United’s future. According to reports, he “came close to quitting Old Trafford in January,” but instead remained to help the team’s injury situation.
Ten Hag, on the other hand, regards Dalot as the preferable option going forward and is relieved to see the former Crystal Palace star move on to greener pastures. The Reds have been linked with a deal for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, who would be a significant step up from Wan-Bissaka.
To be fair to the United defender, he is someone whose attitude is never questioned and who always gives his best, but he isn’t at the level necessary to be a long-term success at Old Trafford. His defensive game is often solid – he averaged two clearances a match in the league in 2022/23 – but he lacks the offҽ𝚗ᵴivҽ quality required in a modern full-back, scoring or assisting only once this season.
Moving him on this summer and getting a price for him is the more sensible alternative than losing him for free next year, and he might still carve out a solid career at a lower-ranked side, having been described by Jamie Carragher as “the greatest one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world.”
Manchester United: A significant takeover twist is possible
Jassim submitted a new Red Devils bid with Sir Jim Ratcliffe last month and was regarded to be confident of acquiring the Glazers despite interest from Ratcliffe and Finnish tycoon Thomas Zilliacus.
The Qatari company leader looks to be considering his first major move if he takes over at Old Trafford, with sources claiming he is a “big admirer” of Jude Bellingham and is making a ᵴuгргιᵴe raid for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.
Nevertheless, it seems that there may be an off-field twist in Jassim’s intentions to seize control, which may come as a ᵴuгргιᵴe given that he was trying to get things done fast to back manager Erik Ten Hag in the transfer market.
In the past 48 hours, The Sun published a story alleging that high government officials are concerned about Jassim. They агguҽ that the objections are due to a £1.4m punishment imposed by the Bank of England on Qatari Investment Bank’s UK subsidiary in 2016 for ƅгҽɑ𝗸Ꭵ𝚗ɡ capital finance requirements, which exposed the bank to high levels of г𝔦ᵴ𝗸.
According to the article, it might be a crucial turning point in the acquisition process, with Jassim being the most likely to reach the Glazers’ value.
When it comes to a prospective sale by the Glazers, who look to be at odds about whether to sell or not, there might still be plenty of twists and turns. According to reports, Avram Glazer does not want to sell, although Joel Glazer may be convinced to sell, and the other four brothers like to sell for a large profit.
The updated bids are still expected to be lower than the Glazers’ asking price of roughly £6B with bidders waiting to hear from Raine Group, the U.S. bank that is advising the Glazers.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, “suitors anticipate to hear back from Raine Group this week and obtain clarification on the next phase of the process.” A further round of bids might be on the table, making for a hectic few days in the acquisition process.
