West Ham United and Crystal Palace approach Manchester United for Aaron Wan-Bissaka
West Ham have joined Crystal Palace in approaching Manchester United over a late deal to sign full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, David Ornstein reports.
Both clubs have been turned down and a move before the transfer window shuts is apparently unlikely due to the fact Erik Ten Hag would require a replacement, which there is so little time to secure.
Writing in The Athletic, Ornstein says that the Old Trafford club do not intend to sell or loan the former Palace right-back out before the deadline.
Wan-Bissaka, a £50million signing when he left Selhurst Park three years ago, has fallen out of favour at United having been through numerous managerial changes since then.
David Moyes has preferred Vladimir Coufal when using a back-four so far this season, but has also used Ben Johnson as a right wing-back in to start the past two matches, although the 22-year-old went off injured in the win over Aston Villa on Sunday (28 August).
Don’t ask, don’t get
From the player’s point of view a move to the London Stadium, having been frozen out somewhat at Old Trafford, would seem like a pretty good opportunity, the slow start to the season notwithstanding.
It was worth checking the possibility of bringing in the 24-year-old but it looks like a long-shot at this late stage of the transfer window.
Johnson is likely to be a long-term fixture in the West Ham squad as he develops, but Coufal’s form has been up and down over the past year.
After three straight losses without scoring a single Premier League goal Moyes appears to have left very few stones unturned in investigating how to boost his squad, but the record-breaking €60million deal to sign Lucas Paqueta should be a large step towards doing that on the back of the first win.
Extra competition in defensive areas has been a priority for some time, and after Emerson was brought in on the left to challenge Aaron Cresswell it is little surprise that the Scot has had a look at Wan-Bissaka to push Coufal.
Plenty can change come deadline day, and Man United are throwing some serious money around themselves amid their own indifferent start to the campaign, so it could be one to keep an eye on even if the defender’s arrival in east London looks remote at this stage.