Ten Hag makes final decision on divisive Man Utd star with fate sealed amid Crystal Palace interest
Fred , Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek warm up for Manchester United
Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to trigger their option to extend the contract of Aaron Wan-Bissaka until 2025, according to a report.
Of all the Man Utd players Ten Hag has worked with so far, Wan-Bissaka has endured one of the most complex stories. Initially, he struggled to win over his new manager when Ten Hag was appointed last summer.
Indeed, for most of the first half of last season, Ten Hag preferred to use Diogo Dalot at right-back. A perceived lack of attacking ability from Wan-Bissaka put his future at the club in doubt.
However, the 25-year-old has begun to put things right in recent months. In the second half of the season, he earned more trust from Ten Hag.
Nevertheless, his future at Man Utd has still been up for question this summer. With his contract entering its final year, Wan-Bissaka has become a target for his former club, Crystal Palace.
But according to an update from The Sun, any attempt to take Wan-Bissaka back to Selhurst Park will be unsuccessful.
That’s because Ten Hag has decided once and for all that he has a place in his plans for the defender. In fact, he wants Man Utd to take up their option to renew Wan-Bissaka’s contract for another season.
That way, Wan-Bissaka could stay on the same terms and have two more seasons as a Man Utd player. It should give him an ideal window of opportunity to prove himself again.
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Defining season ahead for Wan-Bissaka
At his age, Wan-Bissaka ought to be ironing out the flaws in his game. The upcoming season could be a crucial one to determine if he is worthy of being a Man Utd player in the long term or not.
But by renewing his contract, Man Utd would ensure they would not be losing him for free at the end of it. Therefore, in 2024, they could either negotiate a new deal with him or look to sell for the right price.
Wan-Bissaka was an expensive investment for Man Utd when they bought him in 2019. Whether they have got value for money is questionable, but with 160 appearances under his belt for the club, he could continue to fight for his place.
In reality, Dalot remains ahead of him in the pecking order, as evidenced by the fact that he played more than Wan-Bissaka last season and, crucially, Man Utd gave the Portugal international a new contract until 2028 (with an option into 2029) back in March.
In contrast, Man Utd would only be making a shorter commitment to Wan-Bissaka, but there is at least some clarity about Ten Hag’s ideas for him in the upcoming season.
After all, Man Utd seem to have shelved any plans to add a new right-back to their squad, perhaps keeping in mind the current uncertainty about their takeover and the fact they have other priorities in the transfer market.
It may have all combined to buy Wan-Bissaka some time at Man Utd, where he is about to commence on a fifth (and then possibly sixth) season.
