With the imminent confirmation of Ruben Amorim’s arrival in the North West, officials at Manchester United are continuing their work on identifying suitable targets for his innovative system.
The Portuguese tactician is known to embrace a ‘three-at-the-back’ philosophy, with the duties of his wing-backs supplying an essential role for his exciting structure.
Dan Ashworth has played a pivotal part in the Lisbon negotiations and has tasked his recruitment team with compiling extensive reports on several exciting players across the globe.
With Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, the Reds have a pair capable of fulfilling the required duties – both well-versed in playing on either flank.
However, despite the potential of Harry Amass providing a welcome prospect for the future, the continuous unavailability of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia has decimated the left side of the defence.
With such, Ashworth is keen to step up his pursuit of strengthening the club’s options, with Alphonso Davies and Jeremie Frimpong high on the ‘best-in-class’ wishlist heading into the Christmas period.
Targets that tick the boxes for the new Manchester United
Under the ever-watching eye of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos has set about installing a specific framework to aid in returning Manchester United to the head of the football table.
With recruitment playing an essential role, a profile of age, potential, ability, and strengths are KPIs in future dealings.
Despite displaying immeasurable talent in their positions, at 23, both players are scratching the surface of what they can achieve, and this remains an irresistible prospect for the Old Trafford side.
Davies is out of contract with Bayern Munich in the summer, and Real Madrid are keen to acquire his services. The Canadian International offers a threat in attack and speed with awareness in defence.
But United are not dismayed by the Spanish giant’s interest, and per Florian Plettenberg & Luca Sixtus in early October, have set about monitoring any movement ahead of a potential offer.
As we have seen with Leny Yoro, the 20-time English champions can attract any player regardless of the competition for his signature, and remain invested in his progress over the coming months.
In Frimpong, we see another talent United have long considered, with interest as far back as 2022. The Dutchman is a starring jewel in Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen machine but has been open to an alternative challenge for some time.
Like Davies, the Bundesliga star offers an undeniable threat in attacking phases and has mastered the modern art of the wing-back to an indisputable degree.
The Theatre of Red can confirm that Manchester officials regard the Dutchman as an elite option and remain at the top of the list of his admirers.
While Dalot and Mazraoui are quality players with much to admire in either half, the prospect of a wing pairing with these 23-year-old sensations is about as close to the ideal fit for Amorim’s system as any targets could achieve.
When factoring in the summer activity for United, we can only wonder if officials had one eye on the Sporting head coach.
Considering the requirement for a solid trio in central defence, the decision to retain Harry Maguire and add Matthijs de Ligt and Yoro now seems to hold additional stock.
Furthermore, the decision to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka while exploring targets like Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez adds weight to the requirements for a specific type of player, with a ceiling to grow into a leading outlet on the flank.
One thing is for certain – this is an exciting prospect that every United supporter should get behind.
How do you feel about the club advancing their reports on these exciting targets?
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