At one stage it felt as if Manchester United were inundated with left-wingers and almost every attacking player who arrived was doing their best in that role.
But while the move to a 3-4-2-1 under Ruben Amorim has undoubtedly paid off, United have cleared their front deck last summer with Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford all released.
With Michael Carrick in charge, this spate of departures has given the Englishman some light in the side, even if the aforementioned Rashford is set to return this summer.
Indeed, Patrick Dorg’s future could still lie at left-back or right-wing, while £62.5m man Matheus Cunha has been Brazil’s number nine at the World Cup so far, and the 27-year-old looks much more effective in the middle than out wide.
There is a lot of talk about midfield, but securing a new left-sided player for next season should also be a priority.
Manchester United take the lead in signing Somerville’s replacement
The Red Devils could return to the London Stadium to negotiate a deal with Dutch winger Crisencio Somerville after missing out on West Ham United’s Matheus Fernandes.
Talks are said to have taken place over a potential move for the former Leeds United player, but much will depend on Rashford’s future after his return from Barcelona.
Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be in the race to sign the 24-year-old, but the two clubs could also compete to sign Rafael Leao amid rumors the Portuguese star could leave AC Milan.
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According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta, United have opened initial talks to sign the former Lille player, but Leo is not considered part of new manager Amorim’s plans at the San Siro.
Barça and the Old Trafford side have not yet gone beyond early-stage negotiations, but Spurs have been offered the opportunity to reach a deal of their own.
In terms of asking price, the 27-year-old could be sold for around €70m (£60m), although a loan deal with an option to buy has not been ruled out.
Comparison of Leo and Somerville as options on the left wing
This feels like a familiar story in Milan, and despite having been a talisman for the Italian team for over five years, Leo is likely to be jettisoned as he doesn’t fit Amorim’s preferred set-up.
Amorim’s inability to bend or change is well known to those back in Manchester, but just ask Koby Mainu, and his willingness to offer up Leo could be a benefit for United and INEOS.
Milan are not the same team as they were decades ago, but the Portuguese speedster remains a truly special talent, hailed by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson as “one of the best left-wingers in the world”.
Even during his time in and out of teams under his most recent manager at the San Siro, Leo’s level has remained surprisingly consistent, often delivering results in the left channel.
Having joined the club from Lille a year ago, his Serie A results speak for themselves as he has totaled at least 12 goals and assists every season since the start of the 2020/21 season.
Leo – Serie A Records | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | Goal (assist) |
25/26 | 29 | 9(3) |
24/25 | 34 | 8(8) |
23/24 | 34 | 9(9) |
22/23 | 35 | 15(8) |
21/22 | 34 | 11(8) |
20/21 | 30 | 6(6) |
19/20 | 31 | 6(1) |
On the other hand, in the 2025/26 season, despite only starting 23 league games, he scored 9 goals and provided 3 assists, and although he missed 10 “big chances”, he also created a total of 10 “big chances”.
Its reliability and stability cannot come close to Somerville. The young man only contributed two goals in the previous year, and in the 2025-26 season he only scored seven goals and provided an assist in the Premier League.
Last season, he outperformed Leo in terms of completed dribbles per game (1.6 vs. 0.9), even though he only created four “big chances” after failing seven times himself.
Somerville’s game is explosive and truly exciting, but his best work to date has only come in the Championship after scoring 28 goals and assists for Leeds in 2023/24.
Leo, in contrast, has been a regular difference-maker at Champions League level, particularly in the 2024-25 competition, where he scored four goals and provided an assist in just 10 games.
Somerville may boast Premier League experience, but his last goals all came in the blink of an eye in early 2026, and he hasn’t necessarily capitalized on it consistently.
Even if Leo is not yet enjoying life in England, he has long been a force in one of Europe’s top five leagues and appears to be at his peak as a player who could take United’s attack to a new level.
It’s entirely possible that Somerville is a more achievable target, but INEOS would be wise to try to push the boat out a bit instead.
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