Erik ten Hag has dropped the biggest hint yet that Aaron Wan-Bissaka will stay at Manchester United - just months after the £50million full-back seemed destined for the chop.
Wan-Bissaka, 25, was snapped up by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2019 after a sensational breakthrough season at Crystal Palace and made a positive impression during his first year at Old Trafford. However, Wan-Bissaka's stock had fallen significantly by the time Ten Hag was unveiled last summer.
Diogo Dalot has been United's first-choice right-back for the majority of the campaign, but Wan-Bissaka has come in from the cold to muscle his way back into Ten Hag's plans during the second half of the season.
Back in January it was reported that Ten Hag was in the market for a new right-back and that Wan-Bissaka could be on his way out of the club. However, interest from West Ham and his former club failed to materialise into anything concrete - and Ten Hag has now hinted that Wan-Bissaka is unlikely to move on in the upcoming transfer window, either.
Speaking in an interview with The Times, Ten Hag said of Wan-Bissaka: “We make an effort in going in his character, we got a relationship, and from there he got motivation, got his chance, he performed, and from there on he got more belief.”
Wan-Bissaka's stunning performance in the FA Cup semi-final, where he stifled Brighton marvel Karou Mitouma, encapsulated his recent renaissance. He was even branded as the "best one-v-one defender in the world" by Leicester midfielder James Maddison on social media following that match as United booked a Wembley showdown with Manchester City.
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Despite earning plenty of plaudits since returning to the first-team fold, Wan-Bissaka made it clear that he wouldn't be getting carried away anytime soon and that making further improvements is his sole focus.
Speaking to Sky Sports last month, the United defender said: “I try not to [take notice of praise] but sometimes you just run into it. For me, it’s good to see how people notice the improvement this season and the work that’s been put in so it’s always a nice feeling.”
He added: “Compared to that [earlier in the season], it’s good for myself you know. For me, I just wanted to play and express myself on the pitch and to be given that chance, it’s a good feeling.
“I just kept my head down and I think during bad situations, you’ve just got to keep focused and just keep going because they don’t last. That’s what kept me going, I kept telling to myself ‘this isn’t going to last’ and just keep doing what I’m doing.”
