Why Manchester United Should Pursue Their Interest In Ryan Sessegnon
Ryan Sessegnon is arguably one of the hottest properties in the transfer market currently. The 17-year old left-back burst on to the scenes for Fulham this past season and surprised everyone with some brilliant performances in the EFL Championship.
His rapid rise has attracted interests from several Premier League bigwigs including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Jurgen Klopp’s men were supposedly leading the chase for the signature of the £10m teenager, but now it appears it is Spurs who are the front-runners for his signature. However, Manchester United have also decided to throw their hat in the ring for Sessegnon as per reports from The Mirror.
United have developed into a solid defensive unit under Jose Mourinho in his first season in charge. The Red Devils finished with the second best defensive record in the Premier League, having let in just 29 goals, bettered only by Tottenham Hotspur (26). However, the position of the left-back has been somewhat of a concern for the 20-time league winners.
Mourinho has several options in his ranks for the left-back spot – Luke Shaw, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young and Matteo Darmian, but none of them were able to make the position their own.
Shaw, once regarded as one of the most promising full-backs in England, struggled to earn Mourinho’s trust, in a campaign that was blighted by injuries once again.
Blind and Rojo on the other hand, have had to dilly-dally between the roles of left-back and centre-back and it must be said that both of them have looked a much better fit in central defence. Ashley Young is more of a stop-gap option rather than a regular full-back. Darmian put in several impressive displays on the left flank, but looks highly susceptible when going up against a winger with pace to burn.
So, it goes without a question that United need a left-back in the summer if they are to improve on their recent season which was a fairly successful one. Tottenham’s Danny Rose has been rumoured to be headed to the Old Trafford (The Sun). While he will be an excellent addition to the ranks, they should also pursue Sessegnon.
The 17-year old finished the season with a highly impressive return of 7 goals and 5 assists from 30 games across all competitions. Those are some excellent numbers considering that this was his first season with the Fulham senior team. A modern day full-back, full of attacking intent, Sessegnon provides a great avenue down the left-hand side with his forward forays and the fact that he can score and create is something that will make him an asset to any team that he joins.
His age might be a concern, but with United set to play close to 60 games next season, they will need the bench strength to compete on all fronts and Sessegnon could prove to be more than a handy option to have.
Mourinho’s record in promoting young talent isn’t the best, but the fact that there is strong interest in the player may mean he might have seen something special in the Fulham starlet. While an established left-back is the need of the hour for the Red Devils, adding someone like Sessegnon, who will provide great competition to the first-choice defender and also has the potential to develop into a future star, will be an excellent addition.