Manchester United are desperately on the hunt for new left-back options ahead of the new Premier League season kicking off this coming Friday.
Erik Ten Hag had to field Lisandro Martinez in this troublesome spot in the Community Shield Final as a result, with both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia deemed unfit to play, as the Red Devils ultimately lost on penalties to arch-rivals Manchester City in the annual campaign curtain raiser.
A number of new signings are expected to enter Old Trafford between now and transfer deadline day, with a hope that some fresh faces could even be in contention to line up against Fulham when competitive action returns to the Theatre of Dreams.
Man United in talks with in-demand defender
As per reports in Turkey this weekend, Man United are currently in talks with agents to try and tempt Fenerbahçe full-back Ferdi Kadıoğlu to England ahead of the new top-flight season starting.
They aren't alone in their pursuit of the Turkish target, however, with a battle heating up for Kadioglu's services from the likes of Arsenal and even newly promoted Southampton, who also want a piece of the coveted 24-year-old.
What Kadioglu can offer Man United
Fresh off a fantastic Euro 2024 tournament, the Fenerbahce defender missing no minutes of his nation's action, it's no surprise to see Kadioglu dominating so much transfer talk this summer, with the Red Devils viewing the ex-NEC Nijmegen man as the best possible replacement for Shaw, who struggled again with his fitness for England out in France on the contrary.
This could result in Man United having completely different options at right-back and left-back for the season to come, with Noussair Mazraoui expected to sign imminently too.
The Moroccan defender would undoubtedly strengthen Ten Hag's men at the back, but the capture of Kadioglu feels more like a deal that needs to be done soon over adding the current Bayern Munich star, in order to solve selection issues.
Kadioglu can even start further up the pitch for the Dutchman if needed, having lined up 23 times for Fenerbahce down the left wing across his time in Turkey to date, with a mightily impressive 11 goal contributions next to his name from this position.
But, it's from the left-back spot where the 24-year-old has regularly shone for the Super Lig giants, with three goals and five assists managed across the 2023/24 campaign when consistently playing from this spot, from a staggering 51 contests in all competitions.
Games played
37
12
Goals scored
1
0
Assists
4
0
Big chances created
10
1
Accurate passes*
45.7 (85%)
39.3 (86%)
Interceptions*
0.9
0.5
Tackles*
2.0
0.9
Ball recoveries*
6.7
4.9
Clearances*
1.6
3.1
Total duels won*
5.9
2.8
Clean sheets
15
2
Glancing at the table above, the Man United target would also offer the Red Devils far more than just an attack-minded option down the channels, with 15 clean sheets managed last season in the league and 5.9 total duels won on average per clash, far more than Shaw.
The England international endured a bitterly disappointing season, on the other hand, with only 12 Premier League games coming his way owing to constant injury setbacks, with the former Southampton defender's best days potentially behind him now, as he edges closer to 30 years of age.
Whereas, Kadioglu could be more in-keeping with the fresh defence Ten Hag is trying to construct at Old Trafford, with Matthijs de Ligt expected to burst through the doors soon too to officially put pen to paper on a big move.
Described as an "electric" talent by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Kadioglu could well signal the beginning of the end for Shaw at the Theatre of Dreams, in what would be a sad eventual ending for the injury-prone left-back.
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