Erik ten Hag is interested in signing TWO right-backs this summer... if Aaron Wan-Bissaka says goodbye to Manchester United.
That is bad news for Diogo Dalot, who is currently United's first-choice right-back. The Portugal international, 24, is out of contract in June 2024 and could end up leaving Old Trafford after being tipped to become the 'next Gary Neville' by Jose Mourinho.
"Everybody knows that he [Dalot] has fantastic potential," said Mourinho, who signed Dalot for United, in 2018. "I don't want to compare, especially not the number of titles but he is probably the same age as Gary Neville when he came into the first team.
"Probably he can follow Neville in this dynamic of more than 10 years as United's right-back, with amazing conditions to improve, because as I was saying he's 19 years old."
Dalot's colleague Wan-Bissaka, 25, may move on after struggling for minutes during the last two campaigns. The two right-backs on Ten Hag's transfer shortlist are Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard and Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries, who both have glowing CVs.
As reported by The Athletic, Ten Hag has shortlisted Pavard, 27, and Dumfries, 26, to prepare for Wan-Bissaka's exit. The United boss wants to have at least two players for each position and will act if Wan-Bissaka decides to pursue more regular football.
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Ten Hag is unlikely to sign both Pavard and Dumfries, unless Dalot also quits at Old Trafford. That is a possibility if he doesn't sign a new contract between now and the summer.
Pavard has made nearly 300 club appearances during his time at Lille, Stuttgart and now Bayern. The Frenchman has won 10 trophies at the latter club, including three Bundesliga titles and the Champions League. He is also a regular feature in Bayern's starting XI.
Pavard helped France win the 2018 World Cup in Russia - starting the 4-2 win against Croatia in the final - and the Nations League three years later. He was also part of the squad that reached the World Cup final in Qatar, where they lost on penalties to Argentina.
Ten Hag may struggle to land Pavard after Thomas Tuchel was appointed by Bayern last month. The new manager told reporters, "He [Pavard] is an underrated player. He can adapt to the highest level and he defends rigorously. He is a top team player, he immediately had my confidence and proved to me that I had been right."
Dumfries, meanwhile, has made more than 300 club outings after spells with Sparta Rotterdam, Heerenveen, PSV Eindhoven and now Inter. He has won three trophies since joining the Italian giants in the summer of 2021, including the Coppa Italia.
Dumfries played for Aruba before switching his international allegiance to the Netherlands, the country of his birth. He has since won 43 senior caps and was part of the squad that reached the final of the Nations League in 2019, where they lost 1-0 to Portugal.
Like Pavard, Dumfries can fill in at centre-back when required. The Dutchman hit the headlines in December, when he scored in the Netherlands' 3-1 win against the United States at the World Cup in Qatar.
Micah Richards told the BBC after that game, "Denzel Dumfries. What a player he is. I just thought his whole game was brilliant. It was his timing of his runs... Down this right-hand side he was just breathless."
