Manchester United are reportedly working to sign a new left-back during the January transfer window, with Wolverhampton Wanderers' Rayan Ait-Nouri, Chelsea's Ben Chilwell and Benfica's Alvaro Fernandez on their shortlist.
Ait-Nouri's future is currently the subject of much speculation, with the 23-year-old thought to be admired by a number of major clubs, having been in excellent form for Wolves during the 2024-25 campaign.
The Algeria international has scored three goals and registered two assists in 12 Premier League appearances this term, and both Liverpool and Chelsea are said to be keen on his services.
According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Ait-Nouri is also firmly on Man United's radar, while Chilwell and Rodriguez are options for the 20-time English champions, with a January deal thought to be possible.
Chilwell has only made one appearance for Chelsea this season, having been frozen out by Blues head coach Enzo Maresca, and it seems incredibly likely that the Englishman will be on the move in January.
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Ait-Nouri, Chilwell and Fernandez 'on Man United's radar'
In theory, a deal for Chilwell would not be too complicated due to Chelsea's desire to sell, but the 27-year-old is on big wages, and it remains to be seen whether Man United are prepared to sign him on a permanent deal.
Fernandez, meanwhile, left Man United for Benfica earlier this year, and the Spaniard has been in strong form for his Portuguese club during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring twice and registering two assists in 17 appearances.
The 21-year-old did not make a first-team appearance during his time with the Red Devils, but the English club are said to have included a buy-back clause in the deal that took him to Benfica, which would put them in a strong position to re-sign him.
Fernandez would be more of a long-term option for Man United, but there have been claims that Ait-Nouri is the leading target.
The defender made the move to Wolves from Angers in 2020, and he has represented the English club on 129 occasions in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and registering 10 assists in the process.
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What would a left-back signing mean for Shaw, Malacia?
Man United now have Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia back to fitness, with the former making his first appearance of the season against Ipswich Town on Sunday, while the latter was back on the bench.
Shaw was introduced as a left-sided centre-back, though, and he could be used in that position by new Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim if a new left-sided wing-back were to arrive.
Malacia's future is unclear, as he has not played for the Red Devils since May 2023 due to a serious knee injury, and it is unclear whether Amorim is counting on him moving forward.
Alphonso Davies is believed to be Man United's 'dream target' for the left-sided wing-back role, with the Canada international's contract at Bayern Munich due to expire next summer, but Real Madrid are believed to be firmly at the head of the queue for his signature.
Matt Law
