Erik ten Hag has overseen an overhaul in terms of defensive personnel and the players he has brought in have contributed heavily towards Manchester United’s current four-game winning run in the Premier League.
Both Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez have quickly established themselves as regulars in the first XI while Raphael Varane and Diogo Dalot have been exceptional under the Dutchman.
It is no secret that the former Ajax boss has harped on the need to have two players for each position considering the condensed football calendar this year.
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And one position where United are currently short in is the right-back position. Dalot is the undisputed starter under the new coach while Aaron Wan-Bissaka‘s days as a Red Devil seem to be numbered.
Both #mufc and Chelsea were interested in Denzel Dumfries in the summer. They both received the same answer – the player was not 100% convinced on a move, because of the World Cup. [@FabrizioRomano, United Stand YT]
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) September 19, 2022
He was deemed surplus to requirements in the summer and the Old Trafford club tried to offload him to the highest bidder. Despite interest from former club Crystal Palace and West Ham, none of the moves ended up materialising.
It is well-known that the United hierarchy insisted on keeping the Englishman as they did not want such a huge loss on their initial expenditure.
The £45million man is not the strongest in terms of his attacking play and is not as comfortable on the ball as Dalot and thus Ten hag wanted to get a back-up for the Portuguese in that role.
Sergino Dest was reportedly quite close to sealing a move to the Premier League but after United’s outlay on Antony, the American opted to move to AC Milan.
Another name that was continuously linked with the Red Devils was Denzel Dumfries. The Inter Milan player was a target for both United and Chelsea.
Will United revisit Dumfries interest?
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, the prospect of making the Netherlands national team cut for the World Cup was a major decision behind the Dutch full-back staying back in Italy.
“Both Manchester United and Chelsea were interested in Denzel Dumfries in the summer. They both received the same answer – the player was not 100% convinced on a move, because of the World Cup,” Romano said during a Youtube interaction.
Dumfries follows fellow Dutch players like Jurrien Timber and Frenkie de Jong who refused to move from their club hoping to make the World Cup team.
However, next summer might be the ideal time to pounce on the 26-year-old who is said to be open to moving once the quadrennial showpiece gets over.
“For [Denzel] Dumfries, I would keep the situation open – not just for January, but for next summer,” Romano added.
If United can offload Wan-Bissaka for decent money, Ten Hag will be insisting on bringing in a top-class replacement and he knows Dumfries well from their time in the Eredivisie.
