Considering the major rebuilding job that Erik ten Hag had undertaken as the new Manchester United boss, it was bound to be a time-consuming exercise.
As pointed out by former interim manager Ralf Rangnick, it would take a few transfer windows to plug in all the holes in the squad while simultaneously adding quality across the pitch.
So far, five permanent players have arrived at Old Trafford with one loan signing. The Dutchman had prioritised improving the defence and midfield after the horror show of last season.
United’s RB search
But still the right-back position remains a cause for concern and the club needs to address this as soon as possible. United currently seem to have only one option at their disposal.
Diogo Dalot has become the undisputed No 1 choice and has played in all but one game, where he was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Ten Hag has referenced his workload and mentioned that the young Portuguese full-back is currently overburdened and needs back-up.
Left-back Tyrell Malacia has doubled up as the auxiliary right-back for emergency situations with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer favourite Aaron Wan-Bissaka left in the fringes.
🗞 A summer move to #mufc for Jeremie Frimpong is becoming more and more apparent, he now knows United are interested and is also open to a change. [@SkySportDE]
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) November 29, 2022
He has managed only four minutes of action this entire season and the Dutch manager does not rate him at all due to his inability to influence the team’s attack and his clumsiness with the ball at his feet.
A lot of names have been mooted as possible replacements with Jeremie Frimpong‘s name being widely circulated at the moment.
The Bayer Leverkusen star has been a revelation since his move to the Bundesliga from Scottish champions Celtic. Apart from his solid defensive ethic, his attacking ability has really come up by leaps and bounds.
Real Madrid, United set to clash for Frimpong’s signature
The 21-year-old has chipped in with five goals and three assists in 21 games across all competitions this season and that has naturally led to a lot of speculation surrounding his future.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had recently confirmed that the Red Devils were scouting the former City academy product extensively with a view to launching a bid soon.
But United might be pipped in the race by Champions League holders Real Madrid. According to a fresh report from Defensa Central, Los Blancos are said to be currently leading the race to sign Frimpong.
Their current mainstay in that position, Dani Carvajal is now 30 years old and the Madrid giants are looking at making a move for Frimpong as a long-term replacement.
The full-back is currently with the Dutch national team in Qatar but has not managed any minutes so far. But his impressive form means a summer 2023 move is highly likely.
