£50m Man Utd man told ‘he can leave’ after links to Crystal Place return

Erik ten Hag has told Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka that he is free to leave this summer, months after he was linked with a return to Crystal Palace. Football Insider have revealed that the Dutchman will look to offload him despite his regular game-time in the second half of the season.

Wan-Bissaka had struggled to nail down a spot in the starting line-up four years after his £50 million move from the Eagles and was previously linked with a switch back to Selhurst Park during the January transfer window. However, the Red Devils’ injury list forced the 25-year-old to remain at the club and he has since alternated with Diogo Dalot in the right-back spot across all competitions.

While he has picked up more minutes under Ten Hag, the report claims that the Dutchman would prefer to keep hold of Dalot and could look to sign a replacement for Wan-Bissaka if he finds a new club this summer. United have already been linked with ex-Man City and Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong to take the defender’s place.

With only a year left on Wan-Bissaka’s contract at Old Trafford, he is likely to be available for significantly less than the £50m they paid for him in 2019. Crystal Palace are likely to go back in for him after they failed to lure him back to London in January but will face plenty of competition for his signature.

The Eagles never properly replaced Wan-Bissaka once he left and instead brought in Nathaniel Clyne on a free transfer. With the former Liverpool star recently turning 32 years old, while his back-up Joel Ward is even older, the Premier League club could see Wan-Bissaka as a priority signing this summer.