Man Utd make intentions clear with bid in pipeline for £43m upgrade over star who’s won Ten Hag over
Manchester United have reportedly approached Monaco to tell the Ligue 1 side they want to make an offer for their right-back, Vanderson.
The news comes from Zero Hora, which claims that Man Utd have ‘outlined a bid’ for Vanderson to his current employers. The defender is under contract with Monaco until 2027, but Erik ten Hag’s side could be about to test their resolve.
That said, Man Utd’s initial approach has not been treated too kindly by Monaco. The side from the Principality want a more serious financial proposal, in the region of €50m (£43m).
The ball is now in Man Utd’s court as to whether they decide to meet Monaco’s asking price or not.
According to the report, there is still confidence that an agreement can be found for Vanderson to change clubs this summer. In addition to Man Utd, there are other Premier League clubs interested in him, although it isn’t exactly clear yet who they are.
If the Red Devils are serious about signing Vanderson, it sounds like bad news for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The former Crystal Palace defender found gametime hard to come by earlier this season before finally earning some appreciation from Ten Hag.
However, Diogo Dalot remains the preferred option at right-back. The Portugal international signed a new long-term contract last week, so won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
Therefore, if Vanderson arrives for a big transfer fee, Wan-Bissaka might have to be the one to make way.
Wan-Bissaka facing uncertain Man Utd future
Only under contract for another season as things stand, the 25-year-old has been linked with a move to West Ham, which would allow him to return to London.
Vanderson could be a more attacking upgrade on Wan-Bissaka. Across 31 Ligue 1 appearances this season, he scored one goal and provided four assists. In contrast, Wan-Bissaka failed to contribute to a goal in any of his 19 Premier League outings in 2022-23.
As such, Man Utd will likely have to pay more for Vanderson than they would be able to raise by selling Wan-Bissaka. But ahead of their return to the Champions League, it is the kind of tweak to their squad that they will be giving serious thought to.
Man Utd have been linked with a range of other right-backs, too, so it remains to be seen how high up Vanderson is on their list of priorities.
But Wan-Bissaka will certainly be looking over his shoulder, wondering what all these links mean for his chances of adding to his 160 appearances for Man Utd.
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