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Manchester United are in turmoil and everyone is aware of that. The Red Devils, who finished sixth in the Premier League, thereby missing out on Champions League football next football, ended the campaign 32 points behind champions Manchester City. Manchester United are in a huge slump and they are hoping that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will pull them out. It's a no-brainer that United need at least two to three good transfer windows if they want to compete with the elites such as Manchester City, Liverpool or even Tottenham Hotspurs.
Solskjaer has already voiced his concern about the quality and the lack of eagerness of the players in the squad. Everyone associated with football knows that this transfer window is of enormous importance to Manchester United. If not all, seven to eight players need to be replaced. Other than Luke Shaw, David De Gea and Marcus Rashford, all the players are hanging by the thread.
Defending has been one of the primary concerns for the Red Devils. Their leaky defence conceded 54 goals in the Premier League this season. De Gea recorded the least clean sheets at home (2). It's 2019 and still, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are at Old Trafford. With Antonio Valencia injured all season, Ashley Young was deputized in his position. Fair to say, it has been a shambolic campaign for the veteran.
The need of the hour is to sign a solid right-back who can contribute in both defence and attack. Here's a list of three players who can United target this summer for that position.
#3 Ricardo Pereira
It has been a breakthrough season for the Portuguese right-back. He joined Leicester City from Porto last summer for €22 million. He is an offensive player who likes to venture forward and we have already witnessed his versatility this campaign.
He featured in 35 Premier League games this season, scoring twice and assisting seven times. Defensively, he averaged 3.3 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game. These are very impressive numbers keeping in mind that he plays for a team who aims to finish in the top half of the table.
He can be an important outlet for Manchester United and could even help Diogo Dalot, who is also a former Porto player. His dribbling skills and vision to play key passes can help United going forward down the right flank. He is physically strong and has raw pace, which current crop of right-backs at Old Trafford lack.
#2 Thomas Meunier
Thomas Meunier is a viable target for Manchester United, considering his frustration due to lack of minutes at Paris Saint-Germain. If Manchester United are able to make a solid bid, the Belgian right-back could make a move away from the Parc des Princes to Old Trafford. Even though he has won many trophies with the Ligue 1 champions, he is yet to entrench himself as the number one right-back option.
The Red Devils have been heavily linked to sign Meunier this summer. The 27-year-old is currently contracted to Paris-Saint Germain but with Dani Alves ahead of him in the pecking order, he has found game time hard to come by.
This season, he has featured in only 21 Ligue 1 games, scoring and assisting thrice each. He is averaging 1.9 tackles per game and provides one key pass per game. Recently in an interview, he stated that he wants to extend his contract but is also flattered by the interest shown in him by other big clubs such as Manchester United and Juventus.
Meunier is a type of player who likes to play short passes and keep ball possession. He is an accurate crosser of the ball, a quality which neither Young nor Dalot possesses.
#1 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Quietly, Aaron Wan-Bissaka's stocks have risen sharply in the past 12 months. He has been one of the best players for Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace team this season, if not the best. He featured in 35 Premier League games this campaign, making 3.7 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game.
He still needs to improve his ball distribution, but being only 21 years of age, he has time on his side. His strength is when he is called to defend in one-on-one situations, and no right-back in the Premier League is better than him in this department. His international call-up is not too far for sure.
He is a tailor-made for a club like Manchester United where full-backs are expected to cover the flank without showing signs of tiredness.
Manchester United are reportedly planning to make a £25 million bid for him but that should be rejected by the Eagles. Anything below £50 million will not be enough for Crystal Palace to sell one of their most prized assets.
