Pranav Kannan
Transfer News: Manchester United looking at Colombian right-back Santiago Arias
According to Fox Sports (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United are looking at signing out-of-contract Colombian free agent Santiago Arias with the former Atletico Madrid man expected to provide backup for Diogo Dalot.
Arias spent four seasons at Atletico Madrid before the talented full-back decided to leave the club this summer and now finds himself a free agent. He can provide adequate backup to Dalot and be an excellent rotational option.
A player who has played much of his football at PSV in the Netherlands, one thing that Arias definitely has is a wealth of experience. He has played a lot in the Eredivisie and La Liga and is set to have a stint in the Premier League next.
Arias played 14 times for Atletico last season scoring one goal across all competitions. With 13 goals and 31 assists in 297 matches across all leagues in his career, the Columbian can do a good job of playing in that position.
Although predominantly a right-back, Arias can also fill in on the left and even further upfield in the right midfield. However, he is widely expected to be just a right-sided full-back here as we have enough options on the left.
Manchester United do have Aaron Wan-Bissaka as an option to play at right-back when Diogo Dalot is unavailable and it is not a necessity that they really sign another player for the position. However, Ten Hag doesn’t seem to trust the former Crystal Palace man.
The right-back area has been a position of concern for Erik ten Hag throughout the transfer window. Although it does look fairly obvious that Diogo Dalot is his first-choice option but the Portuguese defender still has some chinks in his armour.
To be fair to the former AC Milan loanee though, Dalot is looking better and better with every passing game as he looks to be settling into his role really well. Hence, Ten Hag could choose to trust the Portuguese for this campaign at least.
More Manchester United News
- Jaap Stam wants Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez to tone down a bit and be more aware
- Diogo Dalot reveals option to leave Manchester United for AC Milan after loan spell in 2020/21 season
- Gabriel Agbonlahor predicts Casemiro to ask for a more prominent role at Manchester United
Santiago Arias offers an interesting option for the Red Devils. At 30, he still has a lot left to offer and with 54 caps for his country, he certainly has the experience of playing at the top level.
