Manchester United supporters will fondly remember last season’s Champions League match against Villareal, where the Red Devils came from behind to clinch a memorable 2-1 victory in the dying minutes.
The last-gasp win meant a lot to the club after their Europa League final heartbreak against the same opposition. A memorable goal from Alex Telles and heroics from Cristiano Ronaldo secured all three points.
A player who did not enjoy the best of nights was Diogo Dalot. He started at right back and was repeatedly fooled by Villareal’s left winger Arnaut Danjuma.
United were big fans of Danjuma
The Manchester Evening News reported over the summer that “United were big fans of the Dutch winger a year after he was considered an alternative to Jadon Sancho.”
The Dutch international had a release clause of €45m, but the Old Trafford club opted to spend £73m on the former Borussia Dortmund star.
Danjuma has stated that “you always have to say yes” when asked if he was open to a move to the Premier League #mufc https://t.co/k1zR6cZdrY
— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) December 23, 2022
It was easy to see why United were following him since his departure from England after Bournemouth’s failure to recover from the Championship to the Premier League.
Danjuma became Villarreal’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League with six goals in 11 appearances. That’s not all, as he too finished as his team’s top scorer in La Liga with 10 goals.
The Dutch international has registered five goals in 15 games this season despite injury problems. Last season, he was a revelation, scoring 16 times and adding four assists in 34 games.
Erik ten Hag will know him well from his days in the Netherlands and will be aware of his versatility, which could solve a lot of potential headaches for the manager.
Danjuma open upon return of PL
The 25-year-old recently revealed his desire to return to the Premier League, which could raise further questions about his availability.
“You always have to say yes. The door to the Premier League cannot be closed. At the right time, at the right time in my career, you always have to be open to it,” Danjuma told The Athletic when asked about his future.
Danjuma revealed his versatility and how he can acclimate to any tactical system, a trait that Ten Hag prefers his players to have.
He added: “I have played 4-3-3 as a left-back. I did it last year with Unai Emery in a 4-4-2 system where we played with two forwards and I was on the left back. We played 4-3-3 where I was also the striker”.
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