Manchester United star offered Saudi Pro League exit route: report
Manchester United are looking to revamp their squad in the transfer market after Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought a minority stake in the club
Manchester United are reported to be close to selling defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka as Erik ten Hag aims to revamp his defence in the January transfer window.
Wan-Bissaka, 26, first joined United from Crystal Palace back in the 2019 summer transfer window, but has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr now ready to do a deal.
United are yet to bring in a defender this month, but Wan-Bissaka’s potential departure could free up space in the squad, after starting 13 games to date so far this season.
The Telegraph reports that Saudi outfit Al-Nassr, who already have Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in their squad, are prepared to stump up the cash to end Wan-Bissaka’s five-year stay at Old Trafford.
Al-Nassr have already indicated their desire to sign a full-back this window, by having a sizeable bid for Tottenham’s Emerson Royal rejected.
The report indicates that there is “firm interest” in the former England under-21 full-back from the Saudi outfit, however, they would need to de-register one of their other foreign players to free up room for the defender in the squad.
United have already triggered an extension in Wan-Bissaka’s contract, meaning his deal does not expire until 2025, although his long-term future at the club is still far from certain.
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The former Palace star cost United £45M when first joining but is unlikely to be able to require a similar price to join Al-Nassr, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at £20M.
Although manager Ten Hag has yet to sign a defender this month, United have been extensively linked with a move for Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt in recent days.
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Jack has worked as a sports reporter full-time since 2021. He previously worked as the Chief Women’s Football Writer at the Mirror, covering the England Women’s national team and the Women’s Super League. Jack has reported on a number of major sporting events in recent years including the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on the ground in Australia. When not writing on football, he can often be spotted playing the game somewhere in west London.