Sidney Sladen
Manchester United are interested in a move for Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon and are aiming to bring him to Old Trafford in January by making an initial £25m bid for the player. (The Guardian)
The youngster is regarded as one of the best defenders in the Championship and for all good reasons. He broke into the first-team at the tender age of 16 and has established himself as a regular for the side. In fact, he has already made more than 50 appearances for them and his skills are quite mature and refined.
For us, Ashley Young has proven to be quite strong in the left-back area but let’s face it, he is hardly a worthy long-term option. Also, what if he picks up an injury? We already have a serious shortage of quality players that can be deployed in that area. Moreover, Luke Shaw seems increasingly likely to step out through the exit door in January, which further accentuates the need for signing a viable option for the left-back slot in the upcoming transfer window.
Sessegnon is young and boasts of good talent. He has played in every single game this season so far and Jose Mourinho is likely to have been impressed by his attacking contribution. Besides being a stoic figure at the back, the Fulham teenager is also quite generous when it comes to providing support for the attack. He has scored 4 goals and 2 assists this season and his power could come in handy whenever Mourinho decides to use him as a wing-back.
Earlier, the Championship outfit were not too happy at the thought of losing their young star but they are understood to have slapped a whopping £30million price tag on Sessegnon. Provided that United are willing to cough up the funds, Fulham could make peace with Sessegnon’s eventual departure.
While that does seem like a hefty amount, we are in desperate need of a left-back. Also, it is more of a long-term investment when it comes to a player like the 17-year-old and it remains to be seen if we truly do make a move for him in January.
However, all the financial talk aside, there is no doubt that he would be a good choice to hold the fort at left-back for United. He is good at tackling, aerial challenges and contributes to the attack as well. Having just Young as a strong option is a bit risky, especially with the rest of the season ahead. We are at 2nd place in the league right now and if we are to establish a stronger dominion on the points table, we need a player like Sessegnon.
