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Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is reportedly considering an approach to DR Congo to represent them at the African Cup of Nations.
According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, the Red Devils defender has been proposed the opportunity of switching nationality. He represented England at U21 level but hasn't earned a cap for Gareth Southgate's Three Lions.
Wan-Bissaka was born in England but is of Congolese descent, even playing for their U20 side in 2015. He was called up by England's Euro 2020 qualifiers in September 2019 but returned to Manchester United due to a back injury.
That's the closest Wan-Bissaka has come to earning his first cap for the Three Lions and he's been unable to earn a call-up since. Thus, he could be tempted to switch nationality to DR Congo, which would be problematic for Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils boss is already set to be without Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana and Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. AFCON takes place from January 13 to February 11 next year, meaning Wan-Bissaka could miss up to as many as nine games.
The former Crystal Palace full-back has just returned to Ten Hag's side from a hamstring injury. He's made eight appearances across competitions, providing one assist.
Wan-Bissaka on how Erik ten Hag has helped him at Manchester United
Wan-Bissaka has shown vast improvement under Ten Hag since the Dutch coach's appointment in June 2022. The right-back's future at Manchester United was uncertain after being displaced by Diogo Dalot.
However, he re-earned his place in Ten Hag's side last season with excellent performances. He made 34 appearances across competitions, contributing one assist.
Wan-Bissaka claims to have learned a lot under Ten Hag's tutelage. He told Manchester United's official website ahead of the ongoing season:
"It's been good, especially for myself. I've learned a lot under him. And there's more to come, more improvement to be done. So, yeah, I'm happy. He's helped the team. You can see the team's transition has changed."
Many argue that Wan-Bissaka deserves a place in England's team as he's viewed as one of the best tacklers in the Premier League. But, the likes of Manchester City's Kyle Walker, Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier, and Chelsea's Reece James are all difficult rivals to contend with.
Nevertheless, Wan-Bissaka has enjoyed a positive transformation under Ten Hag that's seen him reclaim his place at United. He's been at Old Trafford since 2019 when he joined the Red Devils from Palace in a £50 million deal.
