Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 5 Things to Know About the Starlet Ahead of His £50m Manchester United Move

The time is nigh where we can all put this particular transfer saga to bed and move on to the numerous other stories brewing, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka edges closer by the minute to completing his long-awaited move to Manchester United.

Crystal Palace's highly sought after right back became the Premier League's most desired signature after a fine campaign at Selhurst Park saw his stock rise to unthinkable levels.

Few were familiar with the 21-year-old's name prior to the beginning of last season, thus it seems fitting to enlighten those still not entirely in-tune the Englishman's career with the odd fact or two.

In this case, however, its five things to know about the soon-to-be ​United star.


His First 3 Palace Games Were Daunting to Say the Least

Christian Eriksen,Aaron Wan-Bissaka

At the end of February 2018, an injury crisis struck Selhurst Park which saw the then-20-year-old thrown into the Lions' den for his competitive debut against ​Tottenham. An 88th-minute goal from Harry Kane was a cruel blow to Roy Hodgson's men as they succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat.


The Premier League fixture list dealt its cruel hand once again though, as next up for the right back were colossal fixtures against Manchester United and ​Chelsea. ​Once again the Eagles were undone by a late strike, as Nemanja Matic struck in added time to secure a 3-2 victory for the Red Devils.


Another defeat followed away at Stamford Bridge but, nevertheless, the signs were there of a player in the making, with Wan-Bissaka looking unfazed when facing the challenge posed by the likes of Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard.


He Came Through the Palace Youth Ranks as a Forward

Originally brought up as a winger, and in some cases a striker after joining ​Palace as an 11-year-old, Wan-Bissaka continued to feature in that role all the way up until the Under-23's.

While playing for the youth team, the striker was asked to take part in a first-team training session to make up the numbers during the middle of the 2016/17 season. With the club boasting a host of strikers at the time, Wan-Bissaka was asked to fill in at right back, presented with the intimidating prospect of marking ​Wilfried Zaha.

The signs were there that the club might have just unearthed an exciting new talent, and soon enough the rediscovered full back was taking on double training sessions with Under-23 coach Richard Shaw and his assistant Dave Reddington to improve the defensive skills he needed to to convert from being a winger.


His Defensive Stats Are Incredible

FBL-ENG-PR-CRYSTAL PALACE-WEST HAM

It's something that you could class as pretty darn imperative when defending is concerned, however, no defender in the entirety of the ​Premier League recorded more tackles than Wan-Bissaka last season.

He made 129 successful tackles last term, averaging around 3.7 per game and only behind midfield enforcer duo Idrissa Gueye and Wilfred Ndidi.

You could point to the fact that Palace finished 12th in the league and therefore came under increased pressure for most of their games, but even Chelsea right back César Azpilicueta finished sixth on the list and the Blues finished third - thus making that argument invalid.

Furthermore, he was the only player in the Premier League last season to complete over 60 tackles, 60 interceptions and 60 take-ons.


His Dad Saved His Eagles Career

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Around the age of 14, Wan-Bissaka began getting caught up in a number of misdemeanours, turning up late to training or missing the sessions completely, the club began losing patience with him.


At this point there were suggestions that the club might consider releasing him, however, his dad Ambroise stepped in and convinced the club's academy to give him a three-month probation period.


The rest is history as they say, as the youngster stepped up to the plate and impressed the club season after season, eventually making his way into the senior set-up.


He's Broken a Record Before Even Playing for United

The fee in question is ​believed to be around £50m, which could very well extend further with additional add-ons and bonuses. However, that sum is made all the more staggering considering Aaron Wan-Bissaka's transfer to United will be the most expensive deal in football history for a player who has less than 50 senior appearances.


His current total is set at 46, of which 42 came in the league and a further four in additional cup competitions.


While not quite as standout as the aforementioned, he is also the most expensive Aaron in history - just in case you didn't know.



Source : 90min