Aaron Wan-Bissaka in talks with Galatasaray over a €15m move
According to a report from Fanatik, Man United fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka has agreed to a €3.5m contract with Turkish side Galatasaray, who have sent to Old Trafford an initial €15m offer.
Wan-Bissaka’s current £4.68m-per-year contract at United is set to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Arriving from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2019 in a €55m move, the 26-year-old has had moments of brilliance and remains to this day one of the better one-on-one defenders in the Premier League, but he has also thoroughly failed to prove himself as a fullback capable of versatility United want in order to reach the levels they want to attain.
This Galatasaray offer, however, should not be what sends Wan-Bissaka out the United exit door.
Offer for Wan-Bissaka too low
Wan-Bissaka was a crucial component of an injury-hit United side in the season gone by, having to often deputise at left-back despite not having the aptitude for it..
United, under a new sporting ownership, are looking to change the way they do things. This is understandable. That they want to sell a lot of deadwood players is also understandable.
Wan-Bissaka, limited though he may be in his ability as a fullback, is not a deadwood at United at the moment, neither is he a fringe player. If the 2023/24 season showed us one thing, it is that, for better or worse, United and Erik ten Hag do rely on Wan-Bissaka.
Going into the summer, United have barely started making preparations for next season. They have decided to stick with Ten Hag, but their squad remains paper-thin, especially at the back.
Wan-Bissaka remains a player likely to get first-team appearances next season if he stays. Maybe an argument can be made for his exit once United reinforce their fullback situation, but right now that is not the case; they shouldn’t move him on before bringing in replacements.
And United should absolutely not move him on for such a low price. Yes, their wage bill needs to be reduced, and they need to cut their losses on their initial investment.
Conclusion
United’s stance of being inclined to let Wan-Bissaka go makes sense, but things need to happen in a certain way,
Man United need to speed up their player recruitment process as they are already behind in terms of their direct league competitors. They do need defensive reinforcements and to that end, they do need fullbacks.
Till they have brought in some fullbacks, however, they should not let Wan-Bisaaka go, and certainly not for a fee less than €20 million. After all, being market-savvy and playing hardball is also one of the things United need to improve upon.
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Despite his shortcomings, Wan-Bissaka has delivered for United in some of the biggest games. He will be fondly remembered in the years down the line regardless of the heights he failed to reach in the long term, but his exit should not be a squeaky one.
