As part of a series exploring where Manchester United need to focus their recruitment drive this summer, The Peoples Person will offer five articles across five days, explaining why a particular position must be prioritised, and why a specific player is the ideal target for the role.
An article a day until any worries about the United squad drift away.
With the upcoming transfer window constituting the first major test of the INEOS revolution at Old Trafford, it is imperative the club’s new leadership structure hit the mark this summer with new signings. And with uncertainty over the long-term future of Erik ten Hag likely to continue until the end of the season, any players INEOS identify will have to possess quality and tactical flexibility in equal measure, to account for a potential managerial change.
So too will budgetary restraints be a factor.
As explained in greater detail here, INEOS are expected to be armed with a considerable war-chest for their first transfer window, but five different areas needing five different solutions means the club will need to be mindful with their money. The Peoples Person anticipate a budget in the region of £250 million, helped by sales and expensive contracts coming to an end.
Our first two articles focused on defence, with a centre-back and left-back needed to buttress an area of considerable weakness for United this season. Today’s focuses further forward, on a longer-standing concern at Old Trafford – the right-wing.
Three Wingers, No Keeper
At three different points over the last few years, United would be forgiven for feeling they had solved this issue on the right-hand side.
In the summer of 2022, the club sanctioned an £86 million move to reunite Ten Hag with his attacking protégé from Ajax, Antony, after the Dutch manager implored his new employers to do so. This move was not approved by the recruitment team at Old Trafford, who valued the Brazilian around the £25 million mark, but after a debut goal against Arsenal the club felt they were onto a winner.
This was a false dawn.
The transfer has quickly morphed into one of the worst deals in Premier League history, with complete vindication for the scouts, as Antony’s performances more reminiscent of a cheap punt than British football’s seventh most expensive signing. Reports suggest INEOS are already willing to move the Brazilian on, even if it requires accepting a significant loss (it absolutely will), and they would be absolutely correct to do so.
Yet the worst part of this imprudent transfer is not Antony himself, but rather that his signing was largely driven as a result of the exact same scenario unfolding with Jadon Sancho a year prior.
In 2021, United brought an end to to a two-year pursuit of Sancho, agreeing a £73 million deal with Borussia Dortmund for one of Europe’s most exciting young attackers. It was felt the then 21-year-old would slot in perfectly on the right-wing, able to drift inside and combine with Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Martial, or use his trickery to go down the line.
Theory rarely translates to reality, however.
The first worry came when Sancho reportedly expressed a preference to play on the left-wing, despite United’s desperate need for the opposite. Nonetheless, regardless of which wing he has been deployed on, the winger’s performances have varied between anonymous and abysmal, never looking like the attacking force which dominated the Bundesliga.
Sancho’s attitude has also been repeatedly called into question, eventually culminating in a war-of-words with Ten Hag over the Dutchman’s decision to drop him from the squad for the trip to Arsenal in September this season. As a result, Sancho was dropped from the senior squad and told a public apology was the only avenue back into the fold at Old Trafford. He refused, proceeding to spend the next four months training with the youth teams instead, despite pleas from his teammates to admit his wrongdoing.
At the first possible opportunity – the January transfer window – United officials moved to end this uncomfortable stand-off, agreeing a deal with Dortmund for Sancho to return to the Signal Iduna Park on loan until the end of the season. Barring a remarkable change in circumstances, Sancho will not return to the first-team at Old Trafford when this loan expires, with the German club keen to sign him permanently.
The failures of Antony and Sancho makes it two misses from two expensive shots by United in recent years to find the right-winger the club is sorely lacking. Yet, if the situation which unfolded with Mason Greenwood had not happened, United would already have produced the solution to this position themselves, long before either Antony or Sancho were bought.
Despite being the most talented footballer of the three wingers, the 22-year-old, currently on loan at Getafe, will not be returning to United, owing to a sequence of events The Peoples Person does not feel requires re-examination (it can be read about further here).
Put simply, Greenwood’s exit is the correct decision for the club, despite his skillset on the pitch applying perfectly to what United need. His sale, as an academy graduate, will also be a significant boost to the club’s ability to fund his replacement, with a number of clubs in Spain reported to be interested in a deal for the forward.
So, three options, zero solutions. This must change in the summer.
A Right-Winger Who Can Do It All
United are believed to be targeting a versatile forward to buttress their attack. Given the versatility of the team’s current first-choice wingers – Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford – this is a sensible approach.
Despite beginning this season as a left-winger, Garnacho has proven a revelation on the right, succeeding with a direct and unrelenting approach Antony and Sancho were incapable of. 7 goals and 4 assists is a good return for a 19-year-old, but tells only one part of the story.
Garnacho possesses an excellent attitude and work-ethic. He does not stop running, in either direction, and Ten Hag has made repeated reference to how well the Argentine trains. He is also fearless, happy to keep attacking the opposition fullback until he finds a weak spot, regardless of how well he is playing.
It’s little wonder the best period of United’s season has come after Ten Hag switched Garnacho to the right-wing, along with Rashford on the left and Rasmus Hojlund through the middle.
However, United cannot expect to rely upon Garnacho to maintain this form, given the natural peaks and troughs a an emerging player experiences in the early period of their career. Similarly, the club must not run the risk of burnout – a real worry for youngsters, as demonstrated by the experiences of Pedri and Gavi in Barcelona.
Hojlund, signed from Atlanta in the summer in a deal potentially worth £72 million, is the team’s undisputed number nine, despite the back of his shirt reading number eleven.
In his stead, however, Ten Hag has often played Rashford as the striker, given Martial is rarely fit. Though this is not always effective, the England international remains a productive option when played through the middle, even if his general performance levels suffer.
As such, if Hojlund was injured, as he has been in various points this season, a new right-winger would enable Rashford to play up front while Garnacho takes his place on the left. Conversely, if this new winger was versatile, and both Rashford and Garnacho were ruled out, he could also play on the left-hand side. Or, he could simply come off the bench, with Rashford and Garnacho starting, to effect the game as an attacking substitute – something United have sorely lacked this year.
Garnacho’s viability as an option on the right-wing takes the pressure off whoever United settle upon to immediately perform. It allows the club to pursue a target with the potential to grow into one of the game’s best wingers, rather than needing the finished product right now, which opens up the number of possibilities this summer.
In regards to the two other youngsters on the fringe of the first-team at Old Trafford- Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri – the pair should take opposing paths at the end of the season.
Diallo can become the back-up to this new right-winger, further building on his sensational goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final win. Pellistri should be sold. The Uruguayan international will likely fetch a reasonable fee given his performances on loan for Granada, as well as his national side, further funding United’s new signing.
The target is, therefore, a right-winger capable of playing on the left. He should combine excellent technical skills with a strong work-rate, to support the press-heavy style United have begun to develop this year. Ideally, his best attribute would be his dribbling and ability to beat defenders one-on-one, as these are areas United’s other attackers lack in, outside of Garnacho.
Let’s go shopping.
INEOS’ First Choice Target
As we previously saw in the first article of this series – the centre-back position – INEOS are believed to have already selected their number one option for the right-wing. Except, this time, unlike for Jarrad Branthwaite, it would be a grave mistake.
INEOS are reported to want Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise.
The 22-year-old has impressed at Selhurst Park this season, combining new found productivity with his trademark silk and skill. Like Branthwaite, he is Premier League-proven and a home grown player. He was a boyhood United fan and is reportedly keen to join the ranks at Old Trafford. And he excels in the exact areas described above – dribbling and one-on-one duels – while retaining a strong defensive work-rate.
Why on earth would Olise prove a mistake you may ask? The Frenchman is simply too injury-prone to take the risk on, despite his obvious talents, given his likely price-tag.
While Olise has only missed 20 games across the last two seasons, this is a slightly false impression given how few matches Crystal Palace actually play. He has been ruled out for 183 days (and counting) in this time; at a big club, like United, this would equate to far more missed games than 20.
Furthermore, it has been repeated hamstring issues which have affected him in this time. It appears to be a real issue for the winger and may require surgical intervention further down the line, in a similar situation to Reece James at Chelsea.
Crystal Palace are believed to want between in excess of £60 million for their young starlet – an excessive price for United given the four other positions they need to find upgrades in this summer.
As such, United should look elsewhere for a cheaper, but equally talented, option; a search which will involve a trip to the Basque Country in Spain.
The Alternative First Choice Target
Nico Williams, brother of Inaki, has been at Athletic Club since he was eleven. He made his debut for the senior side in April 2021, and has only gone from strength-to-strength under Ernesto Valverde, Athletic’s manager, in the last few years.
The 21-year-old possesses a potent pairing of speed and skill, and is equally comfortable on the left or right-wing – perfect for the profile of attacker United need. At the 2022 World Cup, where he played a key role for Spain as they progressed to the quarter-finals in Qatar, Williams clocked in as the second fastest player at the tournament – again, ideal for United.
He is also hard-working; a willing presser who is increasingly showing the tactical awareness to track back to support his fullback when needed. Valverde has previously praised Williams for being a “sensible kid”, and Athletic’s youth academy is a place, The Athletic details, where “work rate and commitment are non-negotiables”.
Furthermore, across the last three years in Spain, Williams has missed just 14 games for Athletic through injury. Olise has already missed twenty games this season alone.
Physically, therefore, Williams appears a perfect fit for the Premier League, yet it is in the art of dribbling where the winger thrives most.
Ranking in the 93rd percentile for progressive carries and 97th for successful take-ons, Williams is a nightmare for opposition fullbacks. He’s averaged 2.9 dribbles per game this season – second only to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior – and has won the most penalties in La Liga (3).
At 21 years of age, Nico Williams has emerged as one of the most exciting wingers in Spain for Ernesto Valverde's Athletic Club:
-3 penalties won (most in La Liga)
-2.9 successful dribbles per game (second to Vinícius at 3.0).@JJMont3ro on Nico: https://t.co/v3zhqfDfOp pic.twitter.com/5w77otQIQr
— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) January 23, 2024
A host of clubs across Europe are reported to be keeping a close eye on Williams’ progress, with a favourable release clause offering a simple transfer for a prospective suitor.
In keeping with Athletic’s “clause or nothing” approach to selling, Williams has a £43 million release clause in his contract. If triggered, the Spanish club will let their winger leave with minimal fuss should he wish to go. Athletic have already lined up Álvaro Djaló – a versatile left-winger – in a €20 million move as a potential replacement.
In comparison to someone like Olise, where Crystal Palace will seek to drive up his price as much as possible, Williams will prove a a walk in the park. As long as another club doesn’t get there first.
Fabrizio Romano reveals Chelsea are interested in the Spaniard, having come close to a move last summer, while “more clubs” in the Premier League are also in the hunt. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have previously been mooted as possible destinations.
🔵🇪🇸 Chelsea keep monitoring Nico Williams as he was already on the list last summer before signing top target Cole Palmer, as revealed in August.
Chelsea are informed on €50m clause and still following Nico.
There are more clubs interested also in PL, race still open. pic.twitter.com/uR8QUtKAbj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 7, 2024
As such, Old Trafford officials will have to move quickly to ensure they’re the first English contingent off the plane in Bilbao this summer, leaving the airport while the Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs teams are still collecting their luggage.
Conclusion:
Olise is a great talent with many of the attributes United need from their new right-winger. The fact he is very likely to be constrained to the treatment room for large parts of his time at Old Trafford negates these positives, however.
Williams – at a cheaper price, on cheaper wages, with more positional flexibility and long-term upside than the Crystal Palace man – is the better option. INEOS must acknowledge United cannot afford to add a fourth miss to their long-standing hunt for a right-winger, and instead switch their focus from London to Bilbao this summer.
In our next edition, The Peoples Person explains why United must finally prioritise a move they should have done years ago – release Martial and sign a better centre-forward in his place.
