Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been reflecting on his time at Manchester United and explained his confusion at one decision from Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United chose to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham in the summer of 2024 for a reported £15 million.
The 26-year-old right-back had joined United in 2019 in a £50 million deal from Crystal Palace after an outstanding breakthrough season in the Premier League. He became an important figure under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, though his playing time became less consistent following the appointment of Erik ten Hag.
Despite that, Wan-Bissaka still contributed significantly during Ten Hag’s tenure, particularly in the two cup finals the club went on to win.
In the end, the decision to move him on appeared justified. He was replaced by Noussair Mazraoui, who emerged as one of United’s standout performers last season.
Wan-Bissaka reflects on baffling Ten Hag decision at United
Wan-Bissaka was the first-choice right-back under Solskjær but things began to change after the Norwegian departed the club.
Ralf Rangnick appeared to favour Diogo Dalot during his short stint and the following manager, Ten Hag, had the same view.
The now West Ham fullback has explained that he was quickly told by Ten Hag that he was not in his plans at Old Trafford, but he was surprised when he was not allowed to leave the club.
‘It was difficult when Erik ten Hag arrived,” the ex-United defender told MailSport. “As soon as he did, he told me I wasn’t in his plans.
“But when I tried to leave, he said he didn’t want me to go. I couldn’t understand it. That was tough mentally, because it left me wondering what I was supposed to do next.
“I just kept my head down and told myself to keep training, keep improving, and play my game. Staying motivated was hard though, especially when you’re training without the clear goal of playing.
“But the people around me guided me in the right way and encouraged me to keep going. Eventually things turned around and started to improve. You could say I changed or developed tactically under him, because that was something he wanted.”
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Ten Hag’s weakness at United
Wan-Bissaka’s conduct when he was not playing under Ten Hag was admired greatly by many fans. He did not sulk or cause any problems, and instead worked hard away from the pitch.
That isn’t always the case in scenarios like this. Ten Hag’s time at United was mixed and this feels like an example of his shortcomings as a man-manager.
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The Dutchman had issues with a handful of players throughout his tenure and he is perhaps fortunate that Wan-Bissaka did not act differently when he was given mixed messages from the United boss.
Dealing with people is an essential part of the job at Old Trafford, whether that be the media, your players or staff, and Ten Hag was not always the best at that side of the job.
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