Manchester United have not had a regular left-back under Jose Mourinho since the boss joined in the summer of 2016.
Ashley Young has been fairly regular in that position this season, but Luke Shaw has also had a run of games in the first team in his place, whilst Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo has also enjoyed time at left-back, among others.
Last summer we were strongly linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Danny Rose but nothing materialised and rumours of us making a move for the England international have since gone quiet.
However, we continue to be linked with a move for a number of players in this position as it appears Jose is keen to get a new player in before the start of next season. Ashley Young turns 33 over the summer and isn’t a natural player in this position. However, his versatility makes him a useful option as a squad player.
The latest reports, coming out of France, suggest that we are preparing a bid to sign Napoli left-back, Faouzi Ghoulam.
Ghoulam joined the Naples club in 2014 and has gone on to make 151 appearances for this season’s Serie A title challenges.
The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to Old Trafford since the start of the year, with this being the first suggestion that we could be going in with a concrete offer for the Algerian international.
French outlet RMC Sport suggest we have been monitoring the defender for some time and are believed to be set to offer around £26 million in the coming weeks.
Whilst that bid offers good value to us in today’s marker there is no suggestion that Napoli would be ready to accept such price. Faouzi Ghoulam is currently under contract until 2022 which puts the negotiations in the Italian club’s favour.
Ghoulam made 11 Serie A appearances at the start of the season, even scoring two goals and recording three assists, but has been sidelined since the start of November with a knee injury picked up in their Champions League Group Stage tie versus Manchester City.
The Algerian is a good attacking left-back with an excellent cross and the ability to create chances when bombing forward. However, question marks remain over his tackling ability, though having played in Italy for the past four seasons you’d think he’s picked up the defensive side of the game.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login