Manchester United should sign one of these wingbacks

Today, we have a guest post from Bergas Brillianto on Manchester United’s search for wingbacks that better suit Ruben Amorim’s tactics. Bergas has previously written for Analytics FC, and runs his own Indonesian-language site, The Flanker.

Ruben Amorim is a coach who sticks to a consistent style. From Braga, to Sporting CP, and now Manchester United, he's always used a back three formation. He’s already implemented his 3-4-2-1 system at Manchester United, so far to mixed results.

In his system, Amorim needs wingbacks who can play high up and stick close to the touchline. So far, this is presenting a bit of a problem: Manchester United don’t have natural wingbacks in their squad. The fullbacks that United have right now don't look like they can play the same way Amorim's wingbacks did at Sporting. Under Erik ten Hag, players like Noussair Mazraoui, Diogo Dalot, and Luke Shaw often drifted inside rather than staying outside to provide width. They also don't like to cross.

Coaches who use a back 3 often convert wingers to wingbacks, but most of Man United’s wide players don’t fit. Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony all like to cut inside from wide areas and take shots. Based on Garnacho’s recent trajectory, it doesn’t make sense to take him farther away from goal.

Amad Diallo seems the one who is worth a shot at wingback, and he’s had a few opportunities in the role early in Amorim’s tenure. He's not as good as Garnacho at shooting, has better defensive numbers than Rashford, and wants to run and send crosses. If he becomes more disciplined as a defender on the wing, he'll become an ideal fit as Amorim's wingback.

INEOS appear ready to invest in the squad this January, and wingback is a clear area of need to get Amorim’s system working. Here are some players they should consider targeting.

David Raum

Both Sporting's main wing-backs, Geovany Quenda and Maximiliano Araujo, have provided more than five crosses per 90 minutes so far this season. Amorim wants their wing-backs to cross as well, even though it isn't their main way of creating chances. None of United’s players even come close to that number, as you’d expect after playing under ten Hag. United need to add a crossing specialist to the team, and Raum could be the answer.

Last season, Raum had 8 assists from 6.72 xG assisted and 70 total key passes, and most came from crosses. He was also an effective corner taker.

Raum knows the three-back system well, having played a similar one for Leipzig and the German national team. He may not be the fastest, but if you're looking for a wing back who can provide width and understands the system, he's worth a look. And he shouldn't be that expensive, either.

Unfortunately, he’s been injured for much of the season, though he’s returned to the Leipzig squad over the winter break. It’s possible that injury could prevent anyone from making a move for him in January, but he did get 65 minutes over the weekend against Werder Bremen.

Miguel Gutierrez

Girona’s left back is 4th in La Liga in completed crosses this season and has 3 assists on 27 key passes and 3 xG assisted. He’s been linked to a Man United move in various media reports this week.

Gutierrez is also a solid dribbler and short passer. His movement is unpredictable too, so as a wing back he can cross from the flank, move into half-space or run into the penalty box if needed. Gutierrez could be the right partner on the wing for someone like Garnacho or Bruno Fernandes, as he can offer many variations.

He's also got solid defensive skills. Gutierrez doesn’t have high volume tackle and interception numbers, but Girona is not a particularly aggressive pressing team, and he wins the ball back at a good rate when he does go into tackles. He’s been a plus contributor to a Girona team that’s solid defensively, allowing under 1 xG per 90 minutes.

If there’s one issue with Gutiérrez, it’s that he occasionally takes a very poor long shot. But he’s only 23 years old, and has developed quickly in recent years. It wouldn’t be surprising if he improved further under Amorim.

Geovany Quenda

If INEOS is willing to take a chance on teenagers, they should make a reunion between Amorim and Geovany Quenda happen. Yes, Quenda is only 17, but this season shows he's got what it takes to play at a high level. He's great in both the Primeira Liga and the Champions League as a right wing back in Amorim's system. He's fast, good at one-on-one defending, wants to cross, and he takes lots of shots too. He’s also a left-footer playing on the right, and could presumably play either wing well.

Quenda is already one of the best wingbacks in Europe at creating attacking value for his team with his dribbling.

Obviously, his physical ability would be seriously tested in the Premier League, and he’d need a period to adjust. He also needs to work on his final third decision-making; he wouldn’t get away with as many mistakes against stronger defenders in England. Ultimately, his advisors might decide it’s too early in his career to make a move abroad, and Sporting could ask for an inflated price. But Quenda has shown the ability and confidence to make a step up to a more challenging league.

Pedro Porro

Because he plays for a direct competitor, it might not be possible for United to agree on a deal for Porro until the summer. He was excellent under Amorim at Sporting, though, and might be a perfect fit for United. They might take their time to get the best fit for a wingback role instead of going for a quicker fix in January. And for Porro, it could be a very appealing move: A back 3 team gives him more of a platform to show his skills than one using a back 4.

Porro has the 4th most completed crosses per 90 minutes among Premier League fullbacks, and has been able to find his center forward Dominic Solanke regularly.

If Porro played as a more attacking wingback like he did at Sporting under Amorim, these numbers might jump up even further.

Jeremie Frimpong

The most obvious target for United, but for good reason — Frimpong had 9 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga last season. He’s not putting up as big of numbers this year, with 2 goals and 4 assists, but he’s still been extremely productive. He averages 0.14 xG and 0.16 xG assisted per 90 minutes for Bayer Leverkusen, and he’s 97th percentile among fullbacks in StatsBomb’s dribble and carry OBV metric.

Frimpong isn’t as skilled of a crosser as some of the other names on this list, but he’s the best of the bunch at getting into the box and creating scoring chances from closer to the goal. It’s a higher risk approach for a wingback, but one that’s produced great results for his team.

He’s improving as a defender and has the recovery speed to mask a lot of problems, but any team that wants him will still need an excellent right center back to cover him. That’s not Man United right now, but they certainly expect Leny Yoro to be that player in the future. Frimpong is a riskier signing than some of these other options, but with his pace and goal contributions, he could provide the largest potential reward.

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