5 alternative targets for Man Utd after Geovany Quenda transfer blow
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There will be wing-backs flying down the Old Trafford flanks for as long as Ruben Amorim is around, and Manchester United have already made a concerted effort at bolstering out wide.
Patrick Dorgu, a versatile operator capable of functioning on either side and in the front three, has primarily played as United’s left wing-back since he joined the club from Lecce in January. The 20-year-old has bags of potential, and there’s scope for the Dane to be a long-term asset.
There was an expectation that Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda would be next through the door at the Theatre of Dreams. It was Amorim who entrusted the 17-year-old to make the step up from youth to senior level, and his breakout campaign looked set to conclude by reuniting with his former manager.
However, United have fallen to the Clearlake scattergun. Chelsea’s hoarding of talent knows no bounds, and Quenda is the next starlet to join whatever project they’ve got going on in west London.
With the teenager now off the market, Amorim and United require an alternative. Assuming Dorgu is locked in down the left down the left, the club’s focus this summer will surely veer towards a right-sided operator. Here are five wing-back options for United after Chelsea swooped for Quenda.
Current club: Bayer Leverkusen
While more defensive-minded performers such as Noussair Mazraoui have offered competence for Amorim in a wing-back role, it makes sense for United to target more dynamic wide players who excel in the final third.
Few excite more than Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, who was one of the protagonists during Die Werkself’s historic 2023/24 campaign. The Dutch international was primarily used as a wing-back by Xabi Alonso last season but is adept enough in advanced areas to operate within the front three.
Once of Manchester City, he boasts electric speed and is a slick combiner over short distances. His pace allows him to get up and down the pitch at will, and the energy Frimpong supplies down the right is infectious. He recorded 31 goal contributions in the Bundesliga over the previous two seasons and is well on course for another double-digit haul this term.
After four-and-a-half seasons in Leverkusen, there’s an expectation that the 23-year-old will depart Germany this summer. United and Liverpool are among the reported interested clubs, and they’ll surely be tempted by the player’s €40m release clause.
Current club: Braga
There are stylistic comparisons between Quenda and fellow teenager Roger Fernandes, who’s two years older than the Sporting star.
Braga have mainly been a back four team this season, and 19-year-old Fernandes has operated in Carlos Carvalhal’s attack even when he shifted to a back three. Fernandes has sparkled for the Portuguese club this season, and there’s reason to suggest he could be converted into a majestic wing-back under Amorim.
The Guinea-Bissau-born talent is left-footed and laden with youthful exuberance. He’s a standout athlete with impressive ball-carrying abilities, with his capacity to cut inside from the right and deliver accurately into the box a trait that’ll intrigue Amorim.
No player aged 20 or younger has notched more appearances in Europe’s top-six leagues than Fernandes, who became Braga’s youngest-ever goalscorer at 15 back in 2021.
As Quenda alternatives go, none are more fitting than Fernandes.
Current club: AS Monaco
Vanderson may not be putting up stellar attacking numbers for Monaco this season, but the Brazilian has shown himself to be a reliable and consistent performer in Ligue 1 and the Champions League across multiple campaigns.
The 23-year-old has attacking tendencies, no doubt, but his defensive work has come on leaps and bounds. He’s technically sound when defending one-on-one, and is an instinctive full-back who boasts the requisite aggression and sense of timing when contributing to a high press.
Vanderson would supply United with plenty of value out of possession, and there’s scope for him to emerge as a more frequent contributor in the final third.
Current club: Inter
Inter’s Denzel Dumfries is a monster and an utterly unique wing-back in a class of his own. He’s the premier option on the market, but Amorim would have to do some adjusting to ensure the Dutchman’s freakish skill set is maximised.
You don’t want Dumfries contributing in the build-up phase. You need him high up the pitch wreaking havoc in and around the opposition’s box. Use him as an outlet when you go long, and teams almost always regret giving him green grass to run into.
No defender has scored more goals in Serie A over the past two seasons than Dumfries (ten).
He’s not a typical Amorim wing-back, but he’s a name United have considered in the past.
Current club: Crystal Palace
You can’t help but love the flying Crystal Palace wing-back who’s developed into a fan’s favourite at Selhurst Park.
Oliver Glasner’s arrival in south London has been the making of Daniel Munoz, who’s blossomed into a stellar two-way wing-back. The Colombia international has seven Premier League goal involvements this season and has been in particularly good form at the start of 2025 amid Palace’s second resurgence with Glasner at the helm.
His relentlessness down Palace’s right has sparked rumours of Munoz boasting a third lung. The 28-year-old’s durability is staggering, with his intensity refusing to cease over the course of 90 minutes.
Munoz’s excellent campaign has some fearing that one of the big boys could make a move, and reports of a rather measly release clause will doubtlessly spark a few nerves among Eagles fans.
He could supply a lot of value to this United team.
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