Manchester United look set to announce Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka as their second signing of the summer.
The defender generated a lot of interest after an array of standout displays for the Eagles last season, and United are close to agreeing a fee in the region of £45m plus £5m in add ons to bring the Englishman to Old Trafford.
With an ageing Ashley Young currently United’s most relied upon right-sided wing-back, there is almost no doubt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needed to strengthen in the position this summer.
But will the investment prove a wise one for United and how will he improve the side?
Firstly, it’s important to understand the direction Solskjaer is looking to take United and the style of philosophy he wants to deploy.
Since the Norwegian arrived at the club, he has made it clear that he wants his team to dominate games and build attacks from the back, utilising his wing-back positions. So far, he has usually relied upon the likes of Luke Shaw on the left or Ashley Young and Diogo Dalot on right to commence their attacks, pushing high to provide width and support for their midfielders and forwards.
Note the positioning of Young and in particular Dalot in below’s pass map taken from Manchester United’s final game of the season vs Cardiff.
Both are pushed high and wide up the pitch while Scott McTominay has dropped deeper to provide defensive cover through the middle. The arrival of Wan-Bissaka will bring more edge to the United attack.
Last season in the league, he proved himself a great attacking outlet for Palace and averaged 1.88 progressive runs per 90 minutes. He is surprisingly fleet-footed and averages 4.5 dribbles per 90 minutes with a success rate of over 72 per cent.
This bettered any current right-back in the United squad and ranked him first overall in this department in terms of Premier League right-backs who played over 1000 league minutes last season.
Once in these advanced area's he averaged a decent 1.77 crosses per 90 minutes with a success rate of 33.33 per cent. Although Young attempted more frequent crosses into the box, he has a severely depleted success rate of just 19.63%.
Although Wan-Bissaka illustrates a prowess in getting into these attacking positions, his average of 0.05 key passes per 90 minutes and an overall total of just three league assists last season demonstrates a need to improve his final ball.
However, it is easy to forget he is still just 21 years old and continuing his overall development. These numbers will likely be boosted by playing with improved players at Old Trafford next season should he make the switch.
Although his attacking aptitude has brought the bulk of plaudits this year, it is worth noting he is just as assured defensively. Last season, he averaged just over three successful tackles per 90 minutes and 7.65 interceptions per 90 minutes.
This meant he often showcased the capacity to win the ball back from defensive situations and quickly launch a counter attack for his team, utilising his dribbling or ball carrying ability.
While not yet the finished article, his potential mixed with his current skill set make him a logical purchase for United and a player who can boost the side both in defence and in attack.
