A new left wing-back could be a priority for Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim, but the club face a battle for one of the players best-suited to the task
Manchester United are keeping tabs on AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez as an alternative to Alphonso Davies, it has been claimed.
United are thought to be on the lookout for a player capable of playing at left wing-back in Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 system. Right-back Diogo Dalot started there against Ipswich on Sunday, while Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia – the club’s two recognised senior left-backs – have faced injury issues since the start of last season.
Bayern Munich left-back Davies appears to have the qualities to play at left wing-back, and is out of contract in the summer. However, with Real Madrid similarly keen on the Canadian international, United may find themselves forced to look elsewhere.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes is one option, with the Portugal international having previously played under Amorim in his home country. If they opt for a more experienced head, though, Hernandez could be the man.
According to Sky Deutschland, Hernandez is being ‘closely monitored’ by United. The same outlet suggests Davies remains the number one target, though United are said to consider the Bayern man difficult to land.
Hernandez, 27, joined Milan from Real Madrid in 2019. His current contract runs until the summer of 2026, and the Rossoneri could yet decide to cash in rather than risking the Frenchman running down his contract.
The defender has been a reliable presence at Milan under a succession of managers, making more than 200 appearances across his five full seasons in Italy. He also has 36 senior caps for France, scoring his second goal for Les Bleus in the 2022 World Cup semi-final win against Morocco.
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United started the Amorim era with a draw away to Ipswich, and the new head coach admitted that – to begin with, at least – rotation will be key. “We have to find a way,” he told reporters after the trip to Portman Road.
“I think the only way to do it is we have games and the guys that don’t play, have training. Everyone is going to play and everyone is going to be on the bench so they have the feeling of the game but they need to train.
“With this schedule we need to rotate the team, so we will try to use that to train, to improve the team between matches. Without time we have to find the time and this is the only way. Some of the guys are going to play and some of the guys in the next days will work on our idea and then they will change the positions.”
Amorim’s first home match will see United welcome Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt to Old Trafford in the Europa League. Kjetil Knutsen’s men have seven points to United’s six after four matches, but lost at home to Qarabag in their most recent European fixture.
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