Manchester United's left-back Luke Shaw was substituted at half-time against Aston Villa last weekend and was a doubtful figure for a possible absence from the away game against Luton City. Head coach Erik ten Hag said Shaw was substituted only as a "precautionary measure", but given the uncertainty surrounding the 28-year-old's selection at Kenilworth Road, the issue is clearly of some importance. Luton Town 1-2 Manchester United
Keeping Shaw fit will be crucial for the remainder of United's season. The England left-back is not only their best defender in wide areas, but also crucial for how Ten Hag's side move the ball between the two boxes. Shaw's left foot has been crucial to Ten Hag's tactics, and the Dutchman values the passing angles and defensive orientation it brings.
In addition, several Manchester United players have benefited from Shaw's team. Ahead of the face against Villa, Ten Hag said his presence makes Harry Maguire a more viable option for left-sided centre-back. When teamed up with Shaw on the left flank, Marcus Rashford's attacking prowess has also improved considerably. Rasmus Holende was the other and the Dane enjoyed Shaw's low pass into the box.
Unfortunately, Shaw has a poor injury record, which makes his presence in the team sometimes more of a reward than a guarantee. Since signing from Southampton in the summer of 2014, the player has yet to play more than 2,000 Premier League minutes for Manchester United in two consecutive seasons (out of a comparable 3,420 minutes).
If Shaw misses a few games at this time of the season, it will be a major blow for United. Tyrell Marachia is still recovering from a knee injury that has sidelined him since the summer, and when he plays, he can't be as quality on the defensive end and up front as Shaw. Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and Sofian Amrabata – in the best of circumstances – were square nails to fill the round hole at left-back.
So, similar to our report last week about Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez, let's conduct a thought experiment: if they want Shaw's replacement or **man, which left-backs could the club consider signing?
How do we find players similar to Shaw?
First, let's take a look at Shaw's performances at left-back last season.
Here are some of Shaw's standout features:
He is excellent at defending one-on-one, can dominate physically, and is more skilled than many left-backs. Shaw is fast enough to keep up with some of the fastest wingers in the Premier League and has enough power to knock opposition players away from the ball. He well-timed tackles, making proper interceptions (such as his ball recovery and tackle rating of 83 out of 99) rather than fouling.
Shaw's relationship with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Martinez and Bruno Fernandes has seen him involved in many of United's goals. The above average intelligence rating is used to match the style of play and keep the ball, which tells us that his teammates trust him to control the ball.
His ball handling and dribbling and offensive passing stats are below average, but compared to the high level of expected goals he expects and shots created on the offensive end. Shaw is not a left-back who constantly shuttles between third parties, but when he decided to get the ball from point A to point B, he made sure it was a meaningful start. Shaw, who is 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) tall, is also excellent in the air. He is the best full-back in the Manchester United book when defending headers.
Players aged 22 and under in European football with a similar skill set to Shaw are a few of Manchester United's scouts to keep an eye on:
At the top of our list is a surprising and perhaps less familiar name: Manu Sánchez of Celta Vigo.
The 23-year-old came out of the Academy at Atletico Madrid before being sold to Celta Vigo last summer and the team currently struggles in the top four of La Liga. He has since made 19 league appearances, 14 of which have been starts.
and contributed 3 assists. Sanchez is a rough diamond and in a limited sample of matches he is at the top of our list, so we recommend placing him behind others on the list who are close to him.
Paris Saint-Germain's academy graduate Arthur Zagre (22) joins Djevencio van der Kust (22), Souffian El Karouani (23) and D**ID Moller Wolfe (21), players who are in the process of establishing themselves in the Dutch top flight. These players will need to be monitored more carefully before they can be confident that they will be able to make the jump to the top teams in Europe's top five leagues, but they certainly have potential.
Sergino Dest of the U.S. men's national soccer team was probably a familiar name before leaving the Netherlands, given his years at Barcelona and AC Milan. The 23-year-old, who is now on loan at Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven, remains a quick-moving attacking defender who may not be as good defensively as Tottenham Hotspur loanee Sergio Reguilon from Brentford, but he may not be the best option for clubs looking to win the Champions League.
Returning to La Liga, Girona's Miguel Gutierrez is another highly anticipated player and a more realistic target if United are to enter the market. The 22-year-old is a tactical wizard who excels at making crosses and interspersed offensive runs, as well as knowing when to go down and being involved in his team's intelligent offensive rotation. He has been outstanding in recent games and when entrusted with the role of left winger, he has shown his quality in both boxes.
Unfortunately, Girona's partnership with City Football Group will make it difficult for United to bring him in, while Real Madrid are also interested in re-signing the Academy graduates they gave to Girona in the summer of 2022 and have the right to pay just €8 million (£680,000; $860,000) – well below the €35 million release fee offered by other clubs.
One player on the list who could play in the Premier League next season is Victor Christiansen, who spent last summer on loan at Bologna after Leicester City were relegated. The 21-year-old Danish national team player has two assists in 20 Serie A games as his side prepare for next season's Europa League qualification. Christiansen joined Leicester City in January last year, but his start to the Premier League has not been smooth. Bologna have an option to convert their loan to a permanent transfer at the end of the season. If they choose not to use it, then Christian could be a boost for Alfonso Maresca's arrival in August.
Benfica's versatile player Moratto was another interesting result. The 22-year-old has spent most of the season playing at centre-back, but Portugal manager Roger Schmidt has been playing at left-back since the summer to fill the void left by Alex Grimaldo after joining Bayern Bayern last summer. Moratto is not a stormtroper and assist machine like Grimaldo, and he is technically skilled and solid defensively. As a 6-foot-3" Brazilian, he's a strong defender who could embark on a career path similar to Gvardiol. A smart passer rather than a runner, he is expected to be selected for the Brazilian national team at this summer's Copa America.
With that in mind, one of the players we would like to highlight is Melvin Bard (23), who currently plays for Nice in the French first division. The Frenchman is a smart, dynamic all-round defender who fits well into Ten Hag's squad and offers a variety of tactical options. His combination of play with winger Jeremy Boga and midfielder Kevren Thuram helped Nice finish second in the French top flight.
Bard can reliably stop an opponent's offense when summoned (e.g. he has a defensive impact rating of 82). If he improves his passing and dribbling abilities even further, then he could catch the attention of Didier Deschamps and the French national team. The 23-year-old promising defender has the potential to be a great player in the right squad.
United are still on loan from Brandon Williams and Álvaro Fernandez, but the former is right-footed and lacks Shaw's defensive ability and passing range up front. He could be looking for a new club this summer. The situation with Fernandez is more interesting. Benfica have a clause in his loan deal that will secure his permanence if he plays a certain number of games for them in the coming months.
Manchester United have a buy-back option and a transfer add-on if Benfica buy the 20-year-old and then transfer him to another club in the future. Fernandes' time in Lisbon is still in the early stages of his time as he battles with Alvaro Moratto for the left-back spot. Sport will report on his progress later in the season.
When Shaw is healthy and in peak form, he is one of the best left-backs in Europe. Manchester United will have to spend a lot of time and a lot of money to buy a better player and even find someone who can replace him and make sure they don't significantly drop quality in that position. Shaw has helped United a lot and their fans will be praying that he can stay fit for the rest of the season. However, the club may have to start looking for similar players – to help fill the huge void when the Englishman is absent.