Manchester United are reportedly plotting a swoop for Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon, 23, who spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Sevilla, the winners of the UEFA Europa League this season. United will have watched Reguilon during the semi-final clash in the Europa League in which the Spanish side beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side 2-1 to reach the final, in which they beat Inter Milan to lift the trophy for the sixth time, which is an achievement, keeping their 100% record in the competition since first lifting the title in the 2005/06 season.
Spanish news source, also considered the mouthpiece of Real Madrid, Marca, have reported that the club could be seeking €20-€25 million for Reguilon this summer, which is a pretty decent fee for the player, especially to bolster United’s squad in the left-back position despite having both Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams. Chelsea were said to be interested in the Spanish defender but opted to sign Ben Chilwell from Leicester City for a fee in the region of £50 million instead.
Solskjaer should be seeking to add competition for places in many positions in the squad. Williams, 19, can play in the right-back position, so could challenge both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Shaw for places and if Reguilon was signed by the club this summer, he could put some pressure on Shaw. The former England left-back’s injury record is not the best and at the end of the 2019/20 season, he was injured again, suffering an ankle injury against his former club, missing United’s final few matches and their participation in the Europa League.
During the 2019/20 season, Reguilon, 23, made a total of 38 appearances for Sevilla, scoring three goals and five assists, which from a left-back would be welcome at United. Reguilon’s contract at Real Madrid will expire in the summer of 2023, so the fee Marca suggest would be a good amount to spend on the talented left-back this summer. Williams is not a player to be written off and is seen as a player that will grow in the future and possible make this position his own. Learning from Reguilon would be great for him to hone his skills for the future, playing regularly on rotation.
If Shaw did not respond well to Reguilon arriving at the club, presuming that this rumour has substance, as many do not, it could mean that the former England’s left-back’s future at the club could be bleak, especially if the Spanish left-back and Williams do well to up the competition for places. Shaw has had a largely positive 2019/20 season, despite ending with an injury, seemingly moving forward in a career at the club that has been blighted with injury in nearly all of the seasons he has played for the club.
United could well face competition with Juventus and Inter Milan seemingly interested in Reguilon, which could see this report as bait for the Italian clubs to make offers to Real Madrid on the basis that United are supposedly interested. This is the way transfers seem to work in modern football. Clubs interested in players, however, not making an offer. Leak a report that United are interested and like the click of your fingers, a bid has been received and you end up selling the player. This seems to happen a lot of the time with United and seemingly happened with Gabrial Magalhaes’ move to Arsenal.
Written by John Walker
