Manchester United considering ‘economical’ option to solve left-back crisis – Celtic star on the radar

Manchester United are harbouring an interest in Scottish sensation Kieran Tierney, according to Daily Record. The 20-year-old, who currently plays for Celtic, has been subjected to interest from United for quite some time now and Jose Mourinho could look to make a January move for him.

Although Alex Sandro is understood to be his first choice, Tierney’s growth and potential simply cannot be overlooked. Not to mention, he will also prove to be an economical option when compared to Sandro.

Now, we all know that United have not had a reliable left-back ever since Patrice Evra left Old Trafford. We all had a lot of hopes for Luke Shaw but his injuries have kept him out for a good majority of his tenure at the club so far.

He has made a comeback of sorts recently but it is understood that Mourinho wants a proven quality option at left-back and Tierney is one of the names on his list for the winter window. Despite being so young, Tierney has firmly established himself as one of the highly-regarded defenders in the Scottish Premiership.

One major requirement for Mourinho’s full-backs is their ability to effectively transition between attack and defence. Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia have managed to do that remarkably, considering both of them were wingers at one point. However, Shaw is not all that strong while surging ahead, even though he is decent enough at holding the fort at the back.

Tierney has drawn attraction not only for his defensive skills but also for his attacking power. He has been a regular for the Scottish giants and even managed to score 2 goals, which is quite impressive for a player so young. With either Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial playing on the left wing, Mourinho could greatly benefit by deploying an attack-oriented left-back like Tierney.

However, if they do sign him – or any new left-back for that matter – it will raise questions over Luke Shaw’s future at the club. He was also linked with an exit earlier and the chances of that happening could increase once a new left-back arrives at Old Trafford.