What many anticipated to be a quick fire blazing efficiency in transfer dealings this offseason to give new Manchester United Head Coach Erik Ten Hag the perfect situation to get his era underway has not played out as expected. For a team needing a lot of improvement from incumbent players and extensive time with the new Coach for new players to do way better than it did last season, Man United isn’t placing itself in good stead to hit on the latter.
This situation is totally different from what Man U’s direct rivals have gone through this offseason with Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs landing big targets to beef their squads long before preseason activities commence. United gets its preseason underway later this week with a game against Liverpool but at the time of writing this piece, just has one new signing confirmed.
Left Full Back who can operate as a Wingback Tyrell Malacia was signed from Feyenoord after a breakout season with the Dutch side; his performances in the UEFA Conference League aided his rise up the rankings. A Center Back preferably a Left Footed Center Back is needed as is an elite Defensive Midfielder to balance the team out.
Grabbing an ascending 22 year old for less than $20 million is a shrewd buy for United but Malacia joins a team that has three full backs on its roster. Alex Telles, Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams operate primarily as full backs on the left side but have played in advanced roles in wing backs capacity at various points in their careers.
In the caretaker years under former Head Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Williams played as a Right full back. As a soon to be 30 year old year who has struggled to replicate the form he showed at his previous club FC Porto, Telles looks like the biggest candidate to get offloaded in the transfer window.
However, Williams reported injury issue has prevented him from joining Man United on the preseason in Asia giving Telles the chance to impress Ten Hag and earn the spot ahead of the younger full back. Also, Williams low wages and young age (21) makes him a more suitable target for several teams in need of a player with his traits on and off the field than an older and more expensive option like Telles. Brighton and Hove Albion is a credible option to get Williams to replace Marc Cucurella who is bound to leave for Manchester City.
That aside, Man United should keep Telles for the upcoming season because Ten Hag’s attack minded tactical flexibility is sure to yield a three man backline system at various points in the season. Such systems are likely to have Luke Shaw operate as the half back on the left side with either Malacia or Telles as the left wing back. Shaw has produced solid performances as a Left Half Back and having the experienced Telles as a backup option for Malacia is a fair deal.
For the first time in the history of modern day football, the FIFA World Cup will be held in November and December. This unique arrangement alters club football calendars all over the world heavily and in turn puts more pressure on players. For most European leagues, the first half of the upcoming season is bound to be packed with a lot of games prior to the Mundial while the post World Cup schedule in the 2022-2023 campaign would be less packed but hectic all the same.
Having competent backups is a must for a team like Man United that is set to compete on four fronts through the season especially considering Shaw is injury prone and is likely to feature in England’s team at the World Cup same as Malacia for Netherlands. On the flip side, Telles is on the outside looking in on the Brazilian squad for selection for the Qatar trip and could be the “freshest” left full back/wing back when EPL action returns from the World Cup break.
After making 30 Premier League appearances for Man United, Telles has just six assists, no goals, three big chances created and has a 23% cross accuracy to his name according to EPL stats and that is awfully woeful for a player whose strength lies in the attacking phase of the game.
A quick look at Alex Telles’ record at his previous European stops suggests Man United is likely to get the best version of the Brazilian in his third season at the club. The initial phase of his run at Galatasaray and Porto wasn’t inspiring but his second stint was successful for both teams and suggests Man United should keep the veteran full back at least for one more season.
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