Rúben Amorim has made a final decision on one of his phenomenal players after receiving interest from Saudi Arabia for the 30-year-old.
Manchester United have a very solid defensive group, despite making no new senior additions to the back five this summer apart from young Diego Leon, who is expected to be on the fringes of the first team and could feature in academy games.
In each defensive position, Rúben Amorim has at least two different options that have proved they are capable of playing in the most important games this season.
With Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro on the right, Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire in the middle, and Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martínez on the left, United have a very solid backline of competitive footballers.
The academy continues to provide as well, with Tyler Fredricson and Godwill Kukoni both hungry for first-team minutes after involvement last season.
Selling at least one defender was always an option for the Red Devils, especially if they needed to raise funds for other areas of the pitch after spending over £200 million on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško.
Amorim makes final decision on Shaw
With Heaven and Martínez on the left-hand side of the back three, some thought that Amorim could sell Shaw this summer, especially after his struggle with injuries under Erik ten Hag.
However, despite receiving some interest from Saudi Arabia, Shaw now looks set to stay at Old Trafford, reports former Chief Scout Mick Brown for the Football Insider.
“Luke Shaw is going to be staying at Man United,” said Brown. “There are players in the squad like him and Harry Maguire who might not be flashy names, but the manager knows he can rely on them when called upon.
“Some others in the squad, you can’t be so certain, but Shaw is ultra-consistent. He’s still a very talented player and he can play in a few positions at the back.
“It’s always useful to have a player like that because he’s good enough to start but can also fill in for other key players if needed. There was some talk about interest in him from Saudi Arabia.
“I think they’re clear now that he won’t be going anywhere, he’s going to be part of the manager’s plans and he’s a valuable player to have at the club. The fact he started against Arsenal is a clear sign of United’s intentions.”
Shaw continues to show United passion
Shaw joined United over 10 years ago from Southampton as a promising teenager, and he looked very bright until his devastating leg break in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven.
It was a long recovery from the left-back, but he returned to the side and has had several spells where he is regarded as one of the best full-backs in world football, most notably under Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
However, Shaw continues to receive abuse about his weight or other areas of his personal life after giving so much to the club. No player wants to get injured, and Shaw is no different.
It would have been easy to leave United and forget a difficult period in his life where he was targeted personally, but Shaw remains at the club and looks set to play a key role for Amorim, even after being left out of the six-man leadership team. His character cannot be questioned.
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Recently, United legend Rio Ferdinand spoke about Shaw’s abilities, calling him a “phenomenal” player who, if he stays fit, will become a significant asset at United.
“Luke Shaw, please stay fit. I’m begging you, please, man. Luke Shaw, please stay fit,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel last week.
“The kid, he’s just a phenomenal player, but he’s been ravaged by injuries over the years, and he just, everything just looks at ease with him when he’s there. The way he plays, the way he moves, the way he passes, a huge asset.”
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