The left-back position at Manchester United has caused Erik ten Hag plenty of issues this season, despite starting the campaign with four options.
Luke Shaw is without doubt the number one, but his continuous injuries have left United extremely weak, as highlighted by Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka filling in.
There’s no doubt that the Red Devils are a better team with the number 23, but the fact that he’s only played 12 Premier League games underlines that his lack of reliability is an issue.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already searching for a replacement, with one particular target potentially helping save Marcus Rashford’s Man United career.
Man Utd’s search for a Shaw replacement
As per a report from GiveMeSport, United are 'looking closely' at making a move for Miguel Gutierrez.
The former Real Madrid prospect has been one of the standout players in the fantastic Girona side this season, impressing enough to potentially be on the move this summer.
Because of this, plenty of top clubs, including Arsenal, are also keeping an eye on the left-back, but it’s Real Madrid who pose the biggest threat, due to a buy-back clause struck with Girona.
No fee is mentioned in the report, however, according to CIES Football Observatory, Gutierrez is estimated to be worth around the £26m mark, making him a relatively affordable option.
How Gutierrez could revive Rashford
Unfortunately, it’s fair to say that Rashford’s season has been a complete disaster compared to his 30-goal campaign in Ten Hag’s first campaign.
Across all competitions, the number ten has netted just eight times, yet despite this, he’s still the Red Devils' joint-third-highest scorer in the league with seven.
The 26-year-old looks visibly frustrated and lacking in confidence during almost every game, yet the lack of a constant left-back partner certainly won’t have helped his performance levels.
However, signing Gutierrez could just be the lifeline that Rashford desperately needs, and together, they could nail down the left side of the United team for years to come.
Assists
6
Big chances created
18
Touches
68.1
Key passes
1.2
Pass accuracy
88%
Tackles
0.9
Dribbled past
0.6
Firstly, it’s incredibly clear that the 22-year-old is the definition of an attacking fullback, whose first thought is to impact the game positively in the final third – Shaw has been rather unsuccessful in this regard of late, failing to register a single assist and creating just one 'big chance' in the league this term.
The Spaniard is an extremely technical player who always seems to make the right decision when in possession, whether that be making a progressive pass or simply having the composure to retain the ball even under pressure.
The fact that he’s not afraid to fire the ball further forward would instantly make Rashford more dangerous, simply by getting him involved in the play much more often and not leaving him constantly isolated.
However, what makes the number three such an “incredible” star, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, is his ability to be a creative outlet, as shown by the fact he’s created the most big chances in La Liga this season, 18 – which is two more than Bruno Fernandes for context.
This would inevitably take the pressure off Rashford to create from the left, while Gutierrez’s energy and overlapping runs would allow him to cut inside on his stronger foot to strike at goal, which is where he’s at his best.
Furthermore, as basic as it sounds, Gutierrez is extremely reliable and always available, as the last and only injury of his career was at the start of 2022, which is the main reason he'd be an upgrade on Shaw as it would allow Rashford to build a more telepathic relationship with his fullback.
Overall, Ratcliffe has to move for the Spanish international, and if he can help get the best out of Rashford, then that’s also almost a new signing in itself.
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