Manchester United have not had a specialist left-back for the best part of two years now, and the situation has hampered the way Ruben Amorim wants to operate.
Luke Shaw suffered yet another injury while Tyrell Malacia has struggled since his return from a long-term issue, forcing the head coach to play Diogo Dalot on the left flank.
Amorim has explained that his compatriot is more suited to the right flank but due to a lack of options, he has been forced to play ther ex-Porto star as the left wingback.
The Portuguese tactician has asked for help in January but for any deal to materialise, player sales will be required owing to the precarious PSR situation the club is facing after an exorbitant summer spend couple with compensation paid to former boss Erik ten Hag as well as Sporting Lisbon.
Shaw’s injury record means he has no future under Amorim
One player who could surprisingly make way in the winter is Shaw with Napoli Calcio Live claiming that Antonio Conte wants the United full-back to join Napoli in January despite his injury history.
Shaw reportedly does not feature in Amorim’s plans moving forward and the Naples outfit are looking to capitalise with both clubs having excellent relations after the summer deal which saw Scott McTominay leave Manchester for Napoli.
The England international’s ability to play on the left-side of the defence as well as in a three-man backline represents a great market opportunity for Conte and a winter approach is on the cards.
“The relationship between Napoli and Manchester United is excellent. There is a lot of talk about Rashford, Zirkzee or Maguire, but there could also be another profile destined to enter Manna’s list.
“We are talking about Luke Shaw. The 1995 player is no longer part of Amorim’s plans and they are working to find a different solution in this winter transfer market.
Napoli want Shaw
“Napoli represents a possibility considering the need to have a deputy for Olivera and his ability to play in a three-man defense. Manchester United is ready to give the green light to this transfer.
“Of course, at the moment we are talking about a simple hypothesis. There is no negotiation underway between Manchester United and Napoli, but the Neapolitans could soon test the waters to understand the feasibility of this operation during the winter transfer market. In the coming days we will have a much clearer picture.”
When fit, Ten Hag had claimed that the 29-year-old is Shaw is the ‘best left-back in the world‘ but injuries have ruined his career ever since that nasty double leg break 10 years ago.
Shaw had managed three appearances this season, missing 25 games thus far while last term, he missed more than 30 matches due to persistent niggles.
It is clear that the 20-time English league champions need to look past him and Napoli could offer him the perfect exit route. Shaw’s market value stands at €20 million and INEOS would do well to earn as much from a sale.
Feature image Richard Pelham via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
