Manchester United will need to sign reinforcements under Erik ten Hag in the summer. New players are needed to fill already existing holes in the squad and also for the Dutchman to fully implement his system at Old Trafford.
Full-backs are an important part of Ten Hag's system at Ajax and if he implements the same tactics at United he will need upgrades. Luke Shaw should thrive down the left-hand side under the Dutchman but the club may need to sign a rotation option.
However, a first-team player will likely need to be signed on the right. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has his problems in possession and though Diogo Dalot has stepped up admirably since Ralf Rangnick was appointed, he still does not seem ready to be relied on as the club's starting right-back.
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And the answer to this problem may lie with Rangnick's old team, RB Leipzig. If Shaw is playing in Noussair Mazraoui's role as a more attacking full-back; the player on the other side needs to be able to play as an inverted right-back and sometimes a pseudo-centre-back in possession.
Nordi Mukiele is a versatile defender who has played as a centre-back in a back three, but also as a wing-back and right-back during his time at the German club. He was signed by Rangnick back in 2018 and has been a great servant to the club making over 100 appearances, but with his contract expiring in 2023, United may be able to sign him for a cut-price fee.
Mukiele would take up the Daley Blind role well. He is a good progressor of the ball and understands the fundamental concepts that Ten Hag will be trying to implement into his defence.
Another potential target for this position could be Jurrien Timber, but it seems unlikely he will follow Ten Hag to Old Trafford and, if he does, he will command a much higher fee. The Dutch defender recently said about the links to United: "I'm good at Ajax. I can still learn a lot, especially if we continue to play in the Champions League."
Mukiele fits the profile of the sort of signing United should be looking to make in all positions. He is young, available for a reasonable fee, fits the profile exactly of a player that is part of Ten Hag's greater system and he is also looking to make the step up and these are the boxes that every player who walks through the doors of Old Trafford this summer must tick.
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