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Who are the Brighton duo that Ten Hag should target?

Manchester United have spent majority of the current season outside of the top four positions, let alone compete for any titles or trophies, as they were hoping to do so at the start of the campaign.

With only one victory in the side’s last five league games, Erik Ten Hag will have already reached the understanding that he has a huge job ahead of his move to Old Trafford in the summer, as both Ajax and United have confirmed that he will be moving to the Premier League on a three-year-deal.

The 52-year-old Dutchman will have a budget of around £100million to spend, and potentially another £75million depending on the sales of the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial and Dean Henderson. However, the Red Devils will have to prioritise to the needs of the manager in terms of arrivals, as there are concerning weaknesses in the squad within each department.

For Ten Hag to hit the ground running in the top-flight of English football, he will require players who are ready made for his tactical demands and who already have experience playing in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp did this in his first summer transfer window at Liverpool, by buying Sadio Mane and Georgino Wijnaldum, whilst Pep Guardiola brought a big player every summer in his first three years at Man City, with John Stones, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez meeting his high expectations.

Following United’s recent embarrassing defeat to Brighton, a team playing with a high pressing setup and displaying their technical ability in the opposition’s half, it would not be a total surprise to see the board targeting a few of their players in the summer window. Individuals such as Tariq Lamptey, Yves Bissouma and Leandro Trossard could be wanted by the top-six sides in England.

We investigate two individuals from Brighton who would be more than welcomed at Old Trafford…

 

Robert Sanchez

Regarded as one of the most effective and proactive goalkeepers in the Premier League, Robert Sanchez plays an influential role within the style of play that Graham Potter has implemented into Brighton. From having the ability to play passes out from the back to stepping outside the penalty area to sweep away any rising danger, he has truly shown the consistent signs of a modern keeper.

The Seagulls sit in fourth place for average possession and seventh place for average successful passes when compared to the rest of the teams in the league, which is more than impressive for a team that do not have any world class players and operate on a budget of £50million-£75million a season. Had they not drawn so many games as they have done this campaign (14), the most in the league along with Crystal Palace, they would be confidently sat in the Europa League positions.

Focusing back on Sanchez, who is ahead of David De Gea in the pecking order for the goalkeeping position for the national team. He sits first in the Premier League for crosses prevented, seventh in the league for sweeper keeper actions outside the penalty area and tenth in the league for passes completed of 40 yards or more. The type of statistics that indicates he can play for a team that plays with a high line, as United have tried to do so in recent season despite their defensive limitations.

For sure, the facts can be misleading from time to time, though, it is no secret that De Gea’s main strength is his shot-stopping ability whilst the rest of his qualities are below average. With Sanchez making a name for himself over the last two years in English football, a move from Brighton to Manchester United should not be ruled out at all in the summer, especially with Ten Hag wanting all of his players in the squad to show complete composure in possession and intelligence off the ball.

 

Tariq Lamptey

With the expected departure of Wan-Bissaka in the summer as well as Diogo Dalot not convincingly proving that he can cement his position as a regular starter at right back, the Red Devils will be desperately looking for a standout replacement and Tariq Lamptey could be the one to fill that void.

Despite having to overcome two major injuries over the last couple of years, missing over 30 Premier League games due to hamstring injuries, the 21-year-old has not let this affect him in anyway possible, and he has been able to continue achieving regular game time to continue his development as a player. Playing as a wing-back within a 3-4-2-1 formation, Lamptey has shown he has the perfect amount of speed and stamina to be confidently effective on both sides of the game and the pitch.

Although Lamptey has more freedom to attack and roam than both Dalot and Wan-Bissaka, he has proven himself to be proactive and aggressive as an individual, which is more than required by the modern full-back, as shown by the best right-backs of Europe in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James. Not only that, but he also sits quite high for the on and off ball action he produces, 4.15 successful crosses per game, 9.17 progress carries per game and 4.09 successful pressures in the final third per game, when compared to the fullbacks in the top-five leagues of European football.

Overall, United will be looking to iron out the issues within midfield and the right-wing area, though, they cannot ignore the problems that need addressing at right-back. With the rise of the importance of attacking full-backs, who can provide the extra dimension down the flanks whilst showing the intelligence to positionally move into the midfield area, the board should ruthlessly look into Lamptey, before the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur potentially show interest in him.