With Dani Alves signing a two year extension at FC Barcelona and Nathaniel Clyne being heavily pursued by Liverpool, while Louis van Gaal has also suggested he will not make an offer for the Englishman, it seems like Manchester United have to look elsewhere for their new right back. So what targets are left with Rafael and Antonio Valencia deemed surplus to requirements?
Matteo Darmian
England fans should remember this Italian international well, as he is starred against the Three Lions in the World Cup last year as well as the friendly earlier this year. The 25-year-old currently plays for Torino in the Serie A and has made over 100 appearances for them. He is a speedy, dynamic player who has the endurance to forage up and down the right flank repeatedly. The Italian is also competent on the opposite flank. According to statistics from WhoScored, Darmian was the best tackler in Europe last season – making 5.3 tackles per game.
Dani Carvajal
Carvajal is a Spanish international who plays regularly for Real Madrid. However, Madrid have signed another right back called Danilo for a substantial fee, which may see Carvajal dropped to the bench. This in turn could open up the opportunity for Manchester United to make a move for the player. He is a full back who likes to get involved in attack as much as possible, which sometimes leaves him exposed at the back. But his pace makes up for that and he is able to track back quickly. He’s a player with a lot of potential and could prosper further under the tutelage of van Gaal.
Martin Montoya
Montoya is my outside bet for the right back spot at Old Trafford. He seems certain to leave FC Barcelona after the club announced the signing of Sevilla right back Aleix Vidal. Montoya is competent on the ball and is known for his high work rate. There was a period during the 2013/14 season where he kept Brazilian Dani Alves out of the team. Under Luis Enrique, he has not featured as much and has attracted interest from United’s rivals Liverpool but if United can secure his services, it could prove to be a shrewd piece of business.
Lukasz Piszczek
This Borussia Dortmund right back has been linked with moves away from the Signal Iduna Park to various clubs for quite a while but it has never surfaced. The Polish international is a cultured right back whose first and foremost thought it to defend. At Dortmund he developed a good understanding with compatriot Jakub Blasczcykowski and the pair blossomed under Jurgen Klopp. Although he has just turned 30-years-old, it shouldn’t be a problem as United were happy to target 32-year-old Alves previously.
