Manchester United are keen to sign a new left-back during the summer transfer window due to the fitness struggles of Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw, according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Netherlands international has not featured this season due to an injury he picked up during pre-season and could struggle to return to action before the end of the campaign.
His England international counterpart has only played 15 games across all competitions and is currently injured, with recent reports claiming he could also be out of action for the rest of the season.
Victor Lindelof has featured in the position in recent games and Man United now want to bring in another natural left-back ahead of next season.
“Manchester United want a new left-back,” Romano said on his YouTube channel. “Tyrell Malacia is not going to play anymore this season. This is the expectation.
“Luke Shaw could return before the final games, but in any case, from what I’m hearing, no matter what happens with Malacia and Shaw, Manchester United want to bring in a new left-back in the summer.
“To understand who it is going to be, we have to wait for the board structure to be clear in the next weeks to understand who is going to be signed in terms of transfer window strategy, but the left-back is something Manchester United want to do and want to add to their priority list.
“They are looking at left-backs and, from what I’m hearing, it could be a young, talented, good player – not an old player. This is the idea of the club.”
Having cut short the loan deal of Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon in January, the Red Devils were left short of defensive options following the injury to Shaw.
Lindelof has not done badly playing as a makeshift, but Man United could do with someone capable of creating goalscoring chances from the position in the final third.
It will be interesting to see which players they end up targeting, but they need to qualify for the Champions League to boost their chances of landing a quality left-back capable of giving both Shaw and Malacia a run for their money.
A major squad overhaul is on the cards ahead of next season, and while landing another striker will come in handy, strengthening at left-back is also necessary.
