Reports in the press today claim Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to sign Everton target Max Aarons the young Norwich City right-back.
The Daily Express say Solskjaer is looking at the young full-back as a potential summer addition to challenge his current incumbant Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The young Englishman has been strongly linked with Everton recently as the Toffees too search for reinforcements in that position.
Right-back is one position where it’s clear the Blues need more options going forward. Club captain Seamus Coleman is 31 and clearly isn’t the player he was after several serious injury problems in recent seasons.
The other options are Mason Holgate who has generally been operating there in the revised defensive four that has played the past few months. Ben Godfrey has also gone in that position although he’s mostly been at left-back.
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While Holgate is a solid enough defensive player, he isn’t going to offer the attacking instincts and overlapping width you might ideally want from a modern full-back.
Although at the moment Everton can’t play with two very attakcing full-backs as they don’t have the defensive solidity to do that (not without Allan at least), so leaving themselves vulnerable.
That was evident in the defeat to Newcastle United last weekend when the Magpies were able to effectively exploit the space behind Coleman and Lucas Digne.
The Toffees have been linked again and again with right-backs over the past six months or so, including Aarons. And while it wasn’t an immediate priority and so there were no moves made in the January window, it does seem likely it’s a position they will look to strengthen in the summer.
The two most prominant candidates were Aarons and the Brighton player Tariq Lamptey. Of the two Aarons is the better defensive option and would provide a very solid all-round addition. Signing him would also re-unite him with his former team-mate Godfrey.
Brighton youngster Lamptey is an excellent attacking full-back and would be the more offensive of the two players who can also step forward and fill in on the right of midfield.
For me Lamptey offers the better bet assuming he can be prised away from Brighton this summer. If the Blues need a more defensive option they already have Holgate and Godfrey to come in so bringing in a genuinly attacking and creative alternative seems to make the most sense.