Manchester United’s inconsistency during the 2025/26 season has highlighted several areas of the squad that still need improvement.
With central midfield desperately needing reinforcements, summer moves for Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson could be on the cards.
Wharton’s perceived lack of physicality has been questioned in some quarters, yet his ability to pick out passes that other players cannot see is unrivalled in the Premier League.
Anderson has the all-round ability to be the perfect foil for Wharton, and United’s hopes of regularly challenging for silverware would be boosted with the pair of them in the ranks.
Bettors who use the 1xbet app to wager on United will also be eager to find out how manager Ruben Amorim resolves the team’s deficiencies at wing-back.
The bookmakers would cut the Red Devils’ odds in each competition they enter if the club can solve the problem over the next couple of transfer windows.
Read on as we take a closer look at the wing-back conundrum facing Amorim, starting with an assessment of the current players at his disposal.
United’s current options are not up to scratch
As things stand, United have five first-team players in contention for the wing-back roles, and there are question marks surrounding each of them.
Injuries have robbed Luke Shaw of his dynamism, and he now seems more suited to playing on the left side of a three-man backline.
Amorim recently questioned Patrick Dorgu’s decision-making, while Diogo Dalot is undoubtedly more comfortable playing as a traditional full-back.
Moroccan international Noussair Mazraoui tends to perform better when utilised in other defensive positions rather than as a right-wing-back.
Amad Diallo is the current favoured option on that flank, but you would be hard-pressed to argue that he has truly got to grips with the demands of the position.
Youngsters could be the long-term answer on the left
Man United have a long-standing tradition of bringing players through their youth-team set-up and incorporating them into the first-team squad.
That methodology could be the solution to the team’s problems on the left flank, with Harry Amass and Diego Leon both touted as exciting prospects for the future.
Amass has sparkled on loan with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, and the time he spends there could pay dividends for United further down the line.
Leon is a little further behind in his development, but is reportedly now ready to embark on a loan move during the winter transfer window.
United could feasibly have two left-wing-backs ready to battle for first-team opportunities next season, thus solving a sizeable headache for Amorim.
Brazilian star would be the dream signing for United
Although United have been linked with a plethora of wing-backs in recent months, realistic transfer targets are relatively thin on the ground.
Federico Dimarco, Theo Hernandez and Alejandro Grimaldo have the ability to be regular starters at left-wing-back, but none of them has the right age profile for the club.
If Amass and Leon can demonstrate they are worth incorporating into the squad, United can focus primarily on filling the hole at right-wing-back.
The standout candidate is Brazilian star Vanderson, who would give Man Utd the quality they are currently lacking at right-wing-back.
He has been excellent for Monaco since joining them in 2022 and is the type of player who could take his game to another level in the Premier League.
