Erik ten Hag is still building his squad at Manchester United and despite being busy in his first summer transfer window, the current group of players is far from the finished product.
Over the summer, Ten Hag was keen on bringing in a right-back to provide competition for Diogo Dalot, who was the clear first-choice option in that department.
Due to commitments in other areas of the pitch, it was not possible to sign a right-back. Up until the World Cup break in November, Dalot had started every game in all competitions, with the final game against Fulham being the only exception due to suspension.
Since club football was resumed, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has made an extraordinary return to the fold and now, there is little clarity on who Ten Hag actually prefers.
Despite Wan-Bissaka’s stunning turnaround, it looks like the Dutchman is still keen on signing a right-back and now, it is being claimed that Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong is closing in on a move to Old Trafford.
That’s according to German journalist Christian Falk, who says that Frimpong is getting closer to making the switch after being a ‘topic’ in the recent January window.
“Jeremie Frimpong is getting closer and closer to a United move. Frimpong was also a topic in Winter – United really wanted him then,” Falk wrote for CaughtOffside.
“You know, he’s a Dutch player and his connection to Erik ten Hag is very close. There should have been talks.
“So, you see now that Ten Hag is performing well with his team and has good arguments for Frimpong and for United in terms of fulfilling his wish. I think he’s one of Ten Hag’s main targets for the summer.”
SN’s verdict… It’s increasingly clear that United will assign much of their focus on signing a striker this summer but if Ten Hag deems right-back to be a department in need of reinforcing, he will make sure to sign someone.
It’s worth noting that although Dalot has enjoyed his best season so far, he only has one year remaining on his current contract and is yet to commit to a long-term deal.
Frimpong is widely considered as one of the Bundesliga’s hottest prospects and his contract is also winding down. The 22-year-old has two years to go on his contract at Bayer Leverkusen.
