Manchester United are on the brink of securing their third summer signing sparked by a potential domino effect in the transfer market.
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, West Ham United have reached a verbal agreement with Aaron Wan-Bissaka ahead of the imminent transfer.
However, the Hammers have yet to agree on the fee with Man United. They are offering £10 million, but the Red Devils are demanding up to £18m.
United already have a back-up plan lined up, with Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich ready to step in.
Once Wan-Bissaka’s move to West Ham is completed, United are expected to move swiftly for Mazraoui.
Wan-Bissaka has been a fine servant to the Red Devils since joining from Crystal Palace in 2019.
He is known for his defensive prowess and displayed his fantastic tackling ability at United.
His performance against Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku in the recent FA Cup final drew widespread acclaim.
Allowing him to leave for merely £10m would not be a shrewd decision from United.
Anything above £15m would be a decent fee considering he could agree to a pre-contract with a club overseas in January.
Even though he is a robust defender, Erik ten Hag wants a full-back who can contribute more to the attack.
Wan-Bissaka’s attacking gameplay has improved over the last couple of years but he still offers very limited in the final third.
Mazraoui will provide a more balanced approach, combining defensive solidity with a greater threat going forward.
He frequently contributes to the attack and offers the flexibility to play in the left-back spot.
With the injury-prone nature of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, United need a robust back-up left-back.
The Morocco international is a technically gifted defender who blossomed under Ten Hag’s guidance at Ajax.
He would be a reliable alternative for both the full-back spots and add much-need quality depth to the squad.
