Do Manchester United Need A New Right Back?

One of the biggest talking points this season for Manchester United fans has been the revival of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Written off by the masses, and seemingly at one point Erik Ten Hag, the right back has had a huge change of fortunes after the World Cup, coming back into the team and adapting to the Dutchman’s system.

Not many would have predicted Wan-Bissaka’s change of fortunes given his preference on defending than attacking, but the former Crystal Palace right back has proved to be a valued asset of Ten Hag’s squad.

Along with Wan-Bissaka in the right back position is Diogo Dalot, who has recently been filling in at left back with the injuries to Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw. The Portugal international, who has had a stop-start season at times, has made a positive impact overall and is clearly trusted by Ten Hag.

There have been summer transfer window rumours circulating, predicting that Manchester United will be in the market for a new right back to compete, with one of Wan-Bissaka or Dalot being moved on.

It is reported that Dalot is close to signing a new long term contract with the club, which would seemingly suggest that Manchester United’s preference is to part ways with Wan-Bissaka. However, fans are pleading for this not to be the case.

The right back has stepped up ever since he was recalled into the squad in the Christmas period and is yet to look back. There can be arguments made about his on-the-ball ability and final third chance creation, but it has massively improved since Ten Hag set foot inside the building.

Wan-Bissaka, who in fact started off as a winger at Crystal Palace, will never be a right back in the mould of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, but his defensive prowess more than makes up for it. Time and time again he is tested in one-on-one duels and comes out on top.

His nickname, The Spider, is because of his long levers that can disrupt the attacker and make last-ditch tackles that do not look possible. The Englishman has adapted well in the second half of this season under Ten Hag and has shown there is more to come.

In the FA Cup semi final against Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley, Wan-Bissaka pulled off a fantastic attacking move, taking the ball around two defenders and then beating the third with pace to find his way into the final third. If he can improve his final ball delivery, there is nothing to suggest he cannot become the right back that Ten Hag can utilise going into next season.

Dalot, on the other hand, is a player that is attack-minded. He has shown, both at Manchester United and AC Milan, his prowess in the opposition’s half and is always a danger with the ball at his feet. The Portugal international needs to improve on his consistency, but the fundamentals are clear to see on what damage he can cause to an opposition’s defence.

However, Dalot lacks the natural defensive intuition that Wan-Bissaka has in abundance. The former FC Porto defender lacks conviction in the one-on-one duels and is routinely passed by. While his spatial awareness has improved – specifically when defending a deep cross into the back post – Dalot has the reputation of making mistakes in the organisation part of his game.

Depending on what will happen in the potential takeover of Manchester United, the club should be focussed on other areas of the pitch than right back. Perhaps further down the line they can revisit the position, but with Dalot and Wan-Bissaka, they have two players who complement each other and can be used in different types of games.