West Ham interested in signing Man United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka on loan
West Ham United are interested in signing Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka on loan in the January transfer window.
Wan-Bissaka, 24, has only played four minutes this season and last started for United in the 1-0 defeat at Everton on April 9. His first start under Erik ten Hag was in the friendly defeat to Cadiz on December 7.
United informed Wan-Bissaka he was free to leave before the end of last season and there was reputed interest from West Ham in the summer.
West Ham have a close relationship with Wan-Bissaka’s representatives Unique Sports Management, which oversaw Maxwel Cornet’s transfer from Burnley in the summer. Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell are also both represented by the same agency.
United loaned Jesse Lingard to West Ham in January 2021 for a fee of £1.5m and the Hammers were prepared to spend £25m to sign him permanently that summer, only then-United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s indecision scuppered a deal.
West Ham are 16th In the Premier League and manager David Moyes has struggled to settle on a regular right-back. Recognised right-backs Vladirmir Coufal and Ben Johnson, have started almost an identical number of league games while summer signing Thilo Kehrer, a centre-back by trade, lined up at right-back in their last three league fixtures.
United bought Wan-Bissaka for £45m rising to £50m from Crystal Palace in July 2019 but he has failed to develop into an attack-minded right-back and was ousted from the side by Diogo Dalot last December.
Dalot has started all but one of United’s 21 games this season – which he missed through suspension – and was replaced at Fulham by left-back Tyrell Malacia as Wan-Bissaka was not even in the squad at Fulham.
Wan-Bissaka has only made six matchday squads this season and Ten Hag said last month he “struggles [with] some injuries, some illnesses, so he was also often not available but doesn’t have a real big problem”.
Ten Hag may have to start Wan-Bissaka against Burnley in the League Cup fourth round on Wednesday as Dalot sustained a hamstring injury in Portugal’s World Cup quarter-final elimination by Morocco.
Dalot reported at United’s Carrington training complex on Friday, three days earlier than scheduled.
