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The injury to Luke Shaw has apparently thrown a huge spanner in the works at Manchester United.
The club is targeting a left-back option to take his place in the team and the shortlist consists of three names so far- Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Sergio Reguilon (Tottenham), and Marcos Alonso (Barcelona).
However, Moises Llorens of ESPN reports that Alonso, in particular, has “no intention” of leaving Barcelona at this point.
Marcos Alonso no tiene ninguna intención de abandonar el @FCBarcelona_es pese a las propuestas que puedan llegar esta semana…@ESPNDeportes @ESPNFC
— moisESPN (@moillorens) August 27, 2023
The attacking full-back joined Los Cules just last year on a free transfer from Chelsea.
He won the league in his debut season, making 24 appearances in the league.
This season, he made his first league start against Villarreal in a 4-3 win for the reigning Spanish champions.
Alonso’s reticence to leaving Barcelona is understandable then. The full-back is in his home country and clearly still has the trust of his manager.
Moreover, in England, his past with Chelsea will make it difficult for United fans to accept him immediately.
Furthermore, once Luke Shaw returns from injury, Alonso will almost certainly go back to being a backup for the English international.
At Barcelona, he is competing for the left-back spot with Alejandro Balde and Xavi gives plenty of playing time to both.
At United, Shaw’s backup Tyrell Malacia will also return from injury, making Alonso’s long-term prospects at the club further thinner.
United are likely to keep facing this problem when targeting a long-term player to fill a short-term gap.
Erik ten Hag played Diogo Dalot on the left against Nottingham Forest and he acquitted himself well in the inverted role but for tougher fixtures, like the next game against Arsenal, his reliability remains under question.
For now, the club will need to look at other targets, while keeping money in reserve for another midfielder, with Sofyan Amrabat transfer looking likely.
