Manchester United make highly questionable bid for English International

Manchester United have made a significant bid for Kieran Trippier, but it’s unclear how he can actually strengthen their starting XI. 

Kieran Trippier is a quality right back who could walk right into a lot of Premier League starting XIs. That isn’t necessarily true at Manchester United. The presence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Old Trafford makes the club’s massive bid for Trippier highly questionable.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Atletico Madrid have already turned down an opening bid for the former Tottenham fullback. Trippier has entrenched himself as a valued starter for Diego Simeone’s club since departing England. It’s unclear just how much United have offered at the moment, but Romano reports that Atletico would consider moving on from Trippier if they receive a bid in the neighborhood of £40 million this summer.

The big question regarding this situation is whether or not United view Trippier as a starter or backup at the right back position. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was one of the club’s highest-rated players last season. Putting the 23-year-old phenom on the bench seems like an odd move for a side that needs to add athleticism this summer.

Gareth Southgate’s recent decision to start Trippier at left back in England’s Euro 2020 opener does raise the idea that the 30-year-old fullback could provide United cover at multiple positions. Trippier doesn’t provide much attacking width when playing on the left but he can serve as an adequate defensive option against mediocre opposition.

Will Manchester United actually buy Trippier?

There’s a lot of smoke surrounding this story at the moment. It seems likely that Trippier wants to return to his homeland after a successful spell in Spain. That gives United a lot of hope in their quest to add him to their squad.

The sticking point to the deal is just how much United are willing to pay for a fullback who probably won’t improve their starting XI. Age is also starting to become a bit of an issue for Trippier. Purchasing 30-year-old players tends to be a poor economic investment for clubs. United aren’t suffering from much financial pressure, but paying anything close to £40 million for Trippier will almost certainly force the club to take a loss when they elect to get rid of him.

Add it all up and it’s likely that Trippier will end up at Old Trafford this summer, but it’s far from a sure thing. He may end up being more valuable to Atletico than United when all is said and done.