Manchester United have reportedly set their sights on Real Madrid outcast Alvaro Odriozola as a potential competitor for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
According to Todo Fichajes, Alvaro Odriozola is eyeing yet another loan move away from Real Madrid in the upcoming January transfer window. This time, Manchester United have emerged as a potential destination as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to find a proper alternative for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
A product of the Real Sociedad youth academy, Odriozola has had game-time hard to come by at Santiago Bernabeu under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane. As a result, he is aspiring for another loan move to a top club and then fight for a position in the first-team next season, when the Frenchman could be relieved of his duties as the Real Madrid head coach.
Odriozola spent the second half of last season on loan to Bayern Munich. He was brought in by the Bavarians as the alternative for Benjamin Pavard. And although the Spaniard did not get many opportunities to impress in Germany, he did end up winning a treble.
Manchester United are hoping to assign a similar role for Odriozola, who could be expected to serve as the main alternative for current first-choice right-back Wan-Bissaka. The Red Devils have indeed shown a lot of ambition in the market so far, having also been linked with a move for Declan Rice recently.
For Odriozola, the one major distinction between his move to Bayern and a potential transfer to Old Trafford is that he is much more likely to get regular game-time at Manchester United.
The hectic footballing schedule in England has already forced Premier League managers like Jose Mourinho and Mikel Arteta to switch their entire team during midweek matches. And the same can be said for Solskjaer, who has usually rotated the full-backs and the attackers while also giving chances to defenders like Axel Tuanzebe during cup matches.
Odriozola could thus have an excellent opportunity to make an impression in England, especially in the UEFA Europa League during the second half of the ongoing 2020/21 campaign. He already has a lot of experience at the highest level of football, while his technically astute nature should add another dimension to Manchester United’s depth in the defensive unit.
As far as the player is concerned, a potential breakout season in the Premier League could also boost his chances of making it into the Spanish squad for the upcoming European Championship in the summer while Real Madrid themselves could welcome his departure as they have done quite well on the right flank with Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez, meaning this move could make sense for all parties involved.
