Manchester United had an opening bid worth in excess of £40m for Aaron Wan-Bissaka rejected by Crystal Palace this month and are weighing up whether or not to make an improved offer for the England Under-21 international.
Wan-Bissaka enjoyed an eye-catching first full season in senior football in 2018-19 after graduating through the south London club’s academy, excelling at right-back and making 39 appearances in all competitions. The 21-year-old, originally a winger, is currently preparing for the summer’s European Under-21 Championships in Italy and San Marino, with United having earmarked him as part of a radical revamp of their backline.
The sizeable opening offer was apparently tabled by United at the beginning of the month and rejected immediately by Palace. Wan-Bissaka is contracted at Selhurst Park through to 2022 with neither player nor club in any great rush to move on. It remains to be seen whether an offer closer to £60m might yet be considered more seriously.
“I am with Crystal Palace at the moment,” said the full-back earlier this month. “That is where my contract is and that is where I will be next season. I have got three [years] left on my contract. It says I am going to be there, so that is all I can focus on now.”
United are seeking to bolster Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s options after a hugely disappointing end to the season in which they tailed off after a promising start under the Norwegian’s management and eventually missed out on qualification to the Champions League.
They have released Antonio Valencia among 14 players who are out of contract this summer, and are seeking to strengthen significantly across their defence after conceding 54 Premier League goals last season. They are close to securing the Wales winger, Daniel James, from Swansea City after having a fee that could rise to around £18m accepted by the Championship club.
Palace have been braced to field interest in their Ivory Coast winger Wilfried Zaha, who has made clear his desire to play in the Champions League. Yet they value Zaha, who is contracted to 2023, as high as £100m and would not countenance losing both him and Wan-Bissaka over the summer.
