Man United Scouting £13m-Rated "Beast"
As Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag looks ahead to the summer transfer window, one problem area that may need addressing is at right-back, with the Red Devils seemingly yet to find an ideal, long-term solution in that role.
While the top-four hopefuls do have Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka battling it out for a starting berth at present, neither man has truly been able to impress over a consistent period of time, hence the potential need for a replacement.
In the case of Dalot, the Portugal international had effectively been an everpresent in the first half of the campaign – having started the first 15 Premier League games – although the former Benfica man has looked a "bit off it" since returning from World Cup duty, according to The Mirror's Colin Millar.
The 24-year-old notably failed to impress in the Wembley win over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final last month, having been hooked at half-time after being given the run-around by Allan Saint-Maximim, memorably getting 'skinned' by the fleet-footed Frenchman early on, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.
Those woes have seen teammate Wan-Bissaka now appear deserving of the "first-choice status" – as per Daily Express journalist Alex Turk – although it was not too long ago that the Englishman was being touted for an exit ahead of the January window, after making just one, four-minute appearance before the World Cup break.
That prior lack of action would suggest that Ten Hag may not be totally sold on the 25-year-old, despite his recent resurgence, hence the belief that a new option could be brought into the fold, with 90min having claimed earlier this month that United have been scouting Red Bull Salzburg starlet, Amar Dedic.
Who is Amar Dedic?
The 20-year-old sensation – who is also reportedly attracting interest from Arsenal – has put himself on the map as a result of his standout displays for the Austrian side of late, having been hailed as "phenomenal" and a "beast" by one Bosnian journalist.
The Austria-born, Bosnia international – who recently scored his first goal for his country against Iceland last week – has proven himself a real threat at club level this season, after providing five goal involvements in all competitions to date, more than both Dalot (four) and Wan-Bissaka (one) have achieved this term.
Such quality in the final third has also been mirrored by the £13m-rated man's defensive prowess, as the five-cap gem ranks in the top 3% among his European peers for tackles made, with that a far superior record to both Dalot (top 17%) and Wan-Bissaka (top 19%).
To be able to have such an all-round figure in the backline would surely be of real benefit to Ten Hag, with the former Ajax boss also likely to enjoy the prospect of working with such a young, up-and-coming talent.
Not only that, but Dedic also offers the benefit of being able to feature on the opposite flank and at centre-back if required, with such versatility likely to prove vital amid the suggestion that United could allow a raft of defensive assets to depart this summer.
While the 5 foot 11 ace may not be the marquee addition that some Red Devils supporters may be craving, it would appear that he could potentially be the end to the club's right-back woes.