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Luke Shaw was considered one of the most exciting prospects in the country during his time at Southampton. Every major club in England was after the teenager at that time, however, it was Manchester United won the race for the left-back.
The full-back showed promise during his first season at the club, however, it was his second season when he really came into prominence. Unfortunately, the left-back suffered a horrific injury which kept him out of the side for a long time. Since then, Shaw's United career has been plagued with injuries and the full-back has been able to make just 79 appearances during his five seasons at the club.
While there is no doubt about Shaw's ability, it is his lack of consistency and a shambolic injury record which has been a concern for the Old Trafford faithful. The 24-year-old left-back seems like the weak link in United's new-look defence this season, and it might be the right time for the Red Devils to let go of the full-back and start looking into other prospects to fill in the left-back position. On that note, we pick three players who can replace him at Manchester United.
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#3 Brandon Williams
Manchester United might have unearthed a gem in Brandon Williams. Nobody expected Williams to feature for the first-team this season as he wasn't even included in United's pre-season squad in the summer. However, injuries to both Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot forced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to integrate the 19-year-old into the first-team. The left-back grabbed this opportunity with both hands and has cemented his place in the first-team squad by delivering consistent performances game after game.
While the young Englishman has struggled a little bit with his positioning and decision-making at the back, his attacking prowess has impressed many of the Old Trafford faithful. The 19-year-old looks incredibly comfortable on the ball and possesses the ability to get past his man with ease. The full-back gets into great positions in and around the opposition's box and his movement makes it very difficult for the opposition to track his overlapping runs. While Williams is still a raw talent and some aspects of his game still need improving, he has the ability and attitude to succeed at Manchester United and could be Luke Shaw's long-term replacement at the club.
#2 Alex Telles
Alex Telles is one of the brightest attacking full-backs in Europe at the moment. The 26-year-old left-back possesses both incredible pace and skill, which makes him a difficult proposition to defend against.
The Brazilian has recorded 4 goals and 5 assists for FC Porto this season. Moreover, the full-back is averaging 2.1 key passes in Liga NOS and an astonishing 3 key passes in the Europa League this season. Not only is Telles excellent going forward, but the Brazilian is also defensively astute and possesses great positional awareness. The full-back is averaging 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions for FC Porto this season.
Telles would be a perfect replacement for Luke Shaw at Manchester United. The Red Devils have been crying out for creativity as their struggle to break down the opposition continues. With Telles, they will not only get a player who can deliver vicious crosses into the box, but can also cut through the opposition's defence with his instinctive passing. Furthermore, the former Galatasaray man will bring invaluable experience and stability to their relatively young back-line.
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#1 Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell has been getting a lot of plaudits for his performances this season. The 22-year-old, who came through the ranks at Leicester City, has established himself as one of the stand-out full-backs in the Premier League and has been a pivotal figure in Leicester City's high-flying start to this season.
The left-back has really benefitted from the attacking system Brendon Rodgers has implemented at the club, which allows him to play further up the pitch and display his attacking prowess. Chilwell is renowned for his vicious delivery into the box and his ability to take on the opposition. Moreover, his link-up play and ability to win the ball aerially remains an underrated part of his game.
Chilwell perfectly fits Manchester United's new model of recruiting young, talented players and could be the final piece in the jigsaw at the back for the Red Devils. Manchester United are in desperate need of a full-back who can heavily contribute in the final third of the pitch, and the 22-year-old seems like the perfect long-term solution to their left-back issue.
