Manchester United could mount a serious Premier League title challenge next season if they appoint Mauricio Pochettino.
The Paris Saint-Germain boss, who has reportedly been told his tenure at the Parc des Princes will end in the summer, has developed a reputation for helping full-backs reach their maximum potential.
Pochettino has been regularly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months, and if he were to be appointed it would surely be fantastic news for Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Rivals Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have shown in recent times that progressive full-backs are as important in modern-day football as any player on the pitch, and appointing the former Tottenham boss could help United throw themselves back into the mix at the top of the Premier League table.
The likes of Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Ben Davies and Kieran Trippier have all excelled under the guidance of Pochettino. Walker has since moved to City and can proudly call himself one of the best right-backs in world football, while Trippier's move to Atletico Madrid saw him win the La Liga title.
If Pochettino were to be appointed at United, the club could finally reap the rewards of the £80m combined total they paid for Shaw and Wan-Bissaka, but it's not just the full-backs who could benefit.
Some of the Premier League's best wide forwards - Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling - have some of the best full-backs - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson, Walker and Joao Cancelo - providing overlapping runs and helping to draw defenders away so they can weave their magic.
United aren't exactly short of electric wide forwards themselves, and players like Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho could benefit hugely from having an attack-minded full-back helping them out.
Former Spurs full-back Rose has made a habit of lauding his former boss whenever the chance presents itself and he regularly cites the influence of Pochettino whenever he's asked about the improvements he's made throughout his career.
"As daft as it sounds, I had never had a manager work on me until Mauricio Pochettino came to Tottenham,” Rose said in the summer of 2016.
“It wasn’t until he came in that I had anyone work on me as a left-back and help me improve.”
Some football fans used to look down their noses at full-backs but it's clear they're now an integral part of the game. If Pochettino can get the best out of Shaw and Wan-Bissaka then United could find themselves in the hunt for the title.
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