For all the euphoria of Manchester United’s Carabao Cup triumph over Newcastle United on Sunday, one man who may well be somewhat disappointed with his own display is Diogo Dalot, with the Portugal right-back having endured a torrid time up against Allan Saint-Maximin.
The 23-year-old was notably beaten by the skill of the fleet-footed Frenchman early in the first half, only to see his blushes spared by team-mate David De Gea between the sticks, having also received a booking for hauling down the dynamic winger amid the chance of a Magpies breakaway.
That rather drab Wembley performance – which led to the full-back being hooked at half-time – saw the former Porto man win just two of his six duels and be dribbled past on two occasions, having recorded a measly 6.3 Sofascore rating.
His replacement Aaron Wan-Bissaka proved far more influential after the break, winning seven tackles – the most of any player on the day – to continue his impressive resurgence, with the latter arguably now the “first choice” pick for Erik ten Hag (according to Daily Express journalist Alex Turk) due to his defensive prowess.
As such, if United are to look for a new recruit at right-back this summer, then it would be no surprise if it is Dalot who makes way. The £25k-per-week gem has hardly pulling up any trees going forward, with only one goal and three assists to his name from 28 appearances in all competitions this season.
Although it may be somewhat ruthless to replace the ten-cap dynamo, Ten Hag could have identified a potential dream replacement in the former of Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, according to recent reports.
What’s the latest on Frimpong to Man United?
As per Football Insider, the Old Trafford outfit are said to be ‘plotting a move’ for the former Celtic defender ahead of next season, with the 22-year-old believed to have earned ‘rave reviews’ from Red Devils scouts of late.
The report suggests that the Netherlands international – who arrived in Germany on an £11.5m deal in January 2021 – could be available for a fee of around £35m this summer, despite the Bundesliga club valuing him at as much as £50m.
Could Frimpong replace Dalot at Man United?
In contrast to Dalot, the one-time Manchester City youth product has proven far more of a threat going forward this season, having already contributed five goals and seven assists in 30 games across all fronts, making his mark in either a wing-back or full-back role of late.
That has ensured that the Amsterdam native already boasts a haul of 23 goal involvements from 77 games for his current club to date, after previously offering 11 goals and assists in 51 appearances during his time at Parkhead.
The “dangerous” machine – as previously lauded by former Riga boss Mihails Koņevs – has further illustrated that attacking brilliance as he ranks in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches in the opposition penalty area, showcasing a real willingness to impact proceedings in the final third.
That is a far superior record to Dalot’s, with the current United defender ranking in just the top 44% for progressive carries, the top 34% for successful take-ons, and the top 36% for touches in the attacking penalty area.
That should indicate that Ten Hag could possibly find the long-term solution that he will no doubt be craving this summer in the form of Frimpong, with the 5 foot 7 speedster currently tearing it up at the BayArena.
