There will be wing-backs flying down the Old Trafford flanks for as long as Ruben Amorim is around, and Manchester United have already made a concerted effort at bolstering out wide.
Patrick Dorgu, a versatile operator capable of functioning on either side and in the front three, has primarily played as United’s left wing-back since he joined the club from Lecce in January. The 20-year-old has bags of potential, and there’s scope for the Dane to be a long-term asset.
There was an expectation that Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda would be next through the door at the Theatre of Dreams. It was Amorim who entrusted the 17-year-old to make the step up from youth to senior level, and his breakout campaign looked set to conclude by reuniting with his former manager.
However, United have fallen to the Clearlake scattergun. Chelsea’s hoarding of talent knows no bounds, and Quenda is the next starlet to join whatever project they’ve got going on in west London.
With the teenager now off the market, Amorim and United require an alternative. Assuming Dorgu is locked in down the left down the left, the club’s focus this summer will surely veer towards a right-sided operator. Here are five wing-back options for United after Chelsea swooped for Quenda.