First major Man Utd summer transfer 'nearing completion'

Robin Bairner

• 22 Jun 2024 09:40 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United’s transfer window is about to get underway in earnest, with their first major deal of the summer about to be completed.

Reports in Turkey suggest that Man Utd are ready to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Galatasaray, with Bein Sports stating that the transfer for the 26-year-old is “nearing completion”.

It is believed that Wan-Bissaka will sign a four-year deal with the Istanbul club and is keen for more regular football, having fallen behind Diogo Dalot in Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford pecking order.

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Although there is no transfer fee mentioned, recent reports had suggested that Wan-Bissaka was set to fetch around €20m for United, which is broadly in line with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €15.2m.

However, it represents a staggering loss on the defender who was signed from Crystal Palace in 2019 for €55m.

He briefly threatened to live up to this billing and even had a sharp spike in his ETV that saw his value rise to €57m in November 2021, but Wan-Bissaka has been on a steady decline since that point.

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Why did Wan-Bissaka fail at Man Utd?

Regarded as one of the best one-on-one defenders in world football, Wan-Bissaka’s defensive prowess was rarely questioned, yet his lack of offensive production in an era in which full-backs are expected to provide so much has been a source of concern.

Over the course of 190 appearances for Man Utd, he scored only two goals and delivered just 13 assists. This comes in stark contrast to similar players at the Red Devils’ rivals who have been offensive juggernauts, most notably Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool and Kyle Walker at Manchester City.

Furthermore, Wan-Bissaka has struggled with injuries during the 2023/24 season, during which he missed 12 Premier League games. He was also used as a left-back at times due to the absence of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

Wan-Bissaka’s exit, meanwhile, could fuel deals for players joining Man Utd – potentially even before the ned of the month.