Michael Carrick has done his best to avoid slipping into the nostalgia trap his former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær called home.
Manchester United’s manager for the remainder of the season has avoided any extensive praise of Sir Alex Ferguson and even dared to use his parking space. However, the retired midfielder couldn’t help but hark back to United’s glittering history of wingers when pressed on a potential transfer avenue.
“I think you’re always looking at the balance of the team and the squad to give you the utmost flexibility, so it’s definitely something to look at, for sure,” Carrick reluctantly admitted this midweek. Pushed for a bit more certainty on the club’s pursuit specifically of a left-sided forward, Carrick smiled: “Quite possibly.”
Traditional wingers were not required for Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which deployed wingbacks and a pair of attacking midfielders behind a central striker. Matheus Cunha was signed for one of those No. 10 roles last summer and has filled in out wide with some success under Carrick, yet Luke Shaw’s recent absence at left back exposed the lack of width which comes with the inclusion of the roaming Brazilian.
Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are both still technically Manchester United players, yet appear to have little chance of ever lining up on that left wing slot at Old Trafford again. New blood is necessary. Sir Jim Ratcliffe claims that Manchester United’s analytics department is still operating in the 20th century, so why not give them a helping hand? (The below will be sent across to Old Trafford on a floppy disk.)
Ranking Criteria
- Quality: There’s no point signing an objectively bad player, United have done enough of that.
- Price: The influx of Champions League revenue would loosen the purse strings but no club has a blank checkbook in the modern game.
- Age: United need to plan for the long term rather than any short fixes.
- Availability: There has to be some faint veil of realism behind this thought experiment.
Ranking Potential Man Utd Left Winger Targets
5. Yan Diomande
This is the type of signing Ed Woodward’s Manchester United would almost certainly make. Yan Diomande is the talk of the transfer market after excelling at RB Leipzig. All the signs are encouraging but there are some painfully obvious areas of concern.
The 19-year-old has only been playing senior soccer for less than a year. Diomande may have already hit double digits for RB Leipzig this term (on top of seven assists) but whether that warrants the €100 million (£87.1 million, $116.2 million) price tag the German outfit are demanding is hotly debatable.
4. Jesús Rodríguez
“One day,” Cesc Fàbregas said of Jesús Rodríguez earlier this season, “he’ll be worth €80 million.” Manchester United may have to act fast to ensure they get him below that price tag.
A pure dribbler in every sense, Rodríguez could hold the key to penetrating the stubborn low blocks which United would expect to come up against. Still only 20, the Como forward has plenty of scope for improvement but already stands as one of the most creative forwards in Serie A, boasting seven assists during his debut season in the competition.
3. Martial Godo
Martial Godo’s current Premier League career stands at just 21 snatched minutes across a pair of uneventful cameos for Fulham last season. The London-born forward couldn’t force his way through under Marco Silva and took the adventurous approach of moving to Strasbourg over the summer. It has emphatically paid off.
Godo was not a guaranteed starter under Liam Rosenior in the first half of the campaign but has established himself as potent regular for Gary O’Neil on the German border.
Boasting 12 goals across all competitions, Godo has made the most of a run of minutes which he was never afforded in west London. Perhaps it’s time for the 22-year-old to get another shot at the Premier League.
2. Iliman Ndiaye
Manchester United have been burned by European buys for years. Last summer’s window promises to be one of the most successful in the club’s recent history thanks in no small part to the acquisition of proven Premier League talents in the form of Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Iliman Ndiaye could be the next cab off that particular rank.
A rubbery forward who balances his dexterity with an admirable sense of industry, Ndiaye has thrived in England’s top flight despite often singlehandedly carrying Everton’s entire attack.
1. Bradley Barcola
The best left wingers in the world play for clubs who would do anything to keep them. Barcelona have shown little intention of offloading this rugged iteration of Raphinha while Real Madrid would be ill-advised to get rid of Vinicius Junior. Paris Saint-Germain clearly feel the same way about Khivcha Kvaratskhelia, yet that stance could open up the exit door for Bradley Barcola.
The prolific two-way forward is a victim of PSG’s ridiculous stack of attacking talent. Capable of crashing the ball towards goal with both feet, a blur across the turf and even an aerial threat at a shade under 6'0", Barcola has got it all.
Yet, when everyone is fit and available, Luis Enrique is more likely to select a frontline of Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué while Barcola watches on from the sidelines. There will only be two years remaining on his contract this summer, presenting a swollen glut of potential suitors with all the opportunity they could ask for to snag one of Europe’s premier talents.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Wingers Man Utd Could Sign to Meet Michael Carrick’s Transfer Demand—Ranked.
