On the whole this season, Manchester United’s League standing isn’t a true reflection of their performances, and in truth, they should be even lower in the table.
Erik ten Hag is now under increasing pressure to succeed, but the same problems continue to occur every game, with no signs of visible progression.
The only positive that can be taken from this campaign is the rise of the youth, with Alejandro Garnacho thriving in particular, becoming a key player for the Red Devils, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in the Premier League.
At just 19 years of age, the winger has truly cemented himself a spot in the starting lineup, as he continues to impress, but just imagine the levels he could go to with a new full-back providing support behind him.
Man Utd’s search for a new left-back
This season, the left-back position has been a huge problem for the Dutch boss due to often being left without a single available player in that role.
That’s currently the case at the moment, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia both unavailable due to injuries, with the latter set to miss the entire campaign. It’s seen young Harry Amass given time among the senior team, however, named among the substitutes against Liverpool last Sunday.
Therefore, it’s no surprise to see that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is desperate to sign a new left-back this summer, and his first potential acquisition could be Miguel Gutierrez, according to the Sunday Mirror via TeamTALK.
However, the English club will not get a clean run at the Spaniard, with Real Madrid having a £6.8m buy-back clause and Arsenal previously scouting him.
That said, let’s take a look at the potential influence Gutierrez could have on Garnacho in particular.
Why Gutierrez could turn Garnacho into a monster
Gutierrez has taken Spain by storm this season, thriving in the unbelievable Girona side that has won the hearts of many football fans across Europe.
The 22-year-old defender has been simply sublime across his 28 La Liga appearances, showing he can impact the game both defensively and in the final third.
But most importantly, he’s suffered no injuries all campaign, with his latest and only setback of his career occurring in the 2021/22 season.
This means that if he were to join the Red Devils, he would be able to develop a brilliant relationship down the left with Garnacho, who’s slowly nailing down that role even over Marcus Rashford.
As you can see by the table below showcasing Gutierrez’s recent performance against Rayo Vallecano, the “fantastic” ace, as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig, is an exceptionally well-rounded star.
Assists
1
Big chances created
2
Key passes
3
Successful dribbles
3/4
Duels won
6
Interceptions
2
Dribbled past
0
Firstly, the number 3 is an extremely solid defender who likes to take a proactive approach, as shown by his two interceptions, six duels won, and the fact he wasn’t dribbled past once.
However, it’s the threat that he brings in the final third that could see Garnacho improve, with Gutierrez often opting for direct dribbling to evade the opposition and drag them out of position, in turn potentially giving the Argentine more space to work his magic.
The Spaniard is also an accurate crosser of the ball, as displayed via his assist, three key passes, and two big chances created, with his overlapping runs making the United attack on the left far less predictable while giving Garnacho the option to cut inside or lay the ball off.
On top of this, the former Madrid ace currently ranks joint-first for big chances created in La Liga (14), which is the same as Bruno Fernandes in the Premier League and 13 more than Shaw.
Overall, United have needed a reliable left-back for years now, and Gutierrez does tick every box for the kind of profile that Ten Hag’s team needs. It could just prove game-changing for the progression of one of the club’s best young talents too.
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