Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt star Nathaniel Brown, as per Caught Offside.
The Red Devils struggled with the left side of their defence over the last few years due to long-term injury problems to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. Therefore, Ruben Amorim decided to sign Patrick Dorgu from the Italian side Lecce in January.
However, he is still just 20 and needs time to develop his career. Amorim uses a back three system and likes to deploy Shaw in the LCB position; on the other hand, Malacia has found himself out of favour.
As a result, Man Utd have been left with Dorgu as the only option for the LWB position. Amorim has used Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot at times on the left, but the duo is more comfortable on the opposite side.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Man Utd are planning to sign a new left-back and have earmarked Brown as a serious option. They have been monitoring his development closely before making a potential swoop.
However, the Old Trafford club aren’t alone in this race as Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa are also weighing up a swoop. The Gunners and the Citizens are even planning to open formal talks over this deal.
Battle
The 22-year-old is valued at around £19m by Transfermarkt and still has five years left in his current contract. Therefore, Frankfurt aren’t in any rush to cash-in on him.
Brown is a left-back by trait but is also comfortable in the LWB role. The German showcased glimpses of his qualities in the Bundesliga last term, scoring three goals and registering six assists.
Moreover, he helped his side keep five clean sheets in 22 league starts. The youngster even guided his team to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top three in the German top flight last campaign.
Brown has enjoyed a bright start to this season as well. He is a highly talented player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal or Man Utd should either club purchase him.
However, having already got Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapié, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal don’t need a new LB.
Many Premier League predictions experts are now tipping them as favourites to win the title, so competition is extremely strong at the North London club and manager Mikel Arteta may wish to limit disruption, especially to his starting eleven.
Therefore, Brown would be better off joining Man Utd over Arsenal if he eventually leaves Frankfurt next year.
