Share Comments By Samuel Luckhurst 06:00, 11 MAY 2019 Sport opinion United passed on Silva and missed out on Mane Get the biggest Manchester United FC stories by email Subscribe See our privacy notice More newsletters Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email For maybe the first time since a drab League Cup fourth round tie against Norwich under David Moyes, Manchester United could start a specialist right winger on Sunday. Tahith Chong is eager, if erratic, to continue his development following another accolade at the Player of the Year awards on Thursday night and Gary Neville was not the only one who thought he represented an upgrade on the abject Alexis Sanchez at Huddersfield.
Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata were stop-gaps on the right and Henrikh Mkhitaryan preferred the centre ground. Diogo Dalot is a right-back and Ashley Young was a left winger. The only out-and-out right wingers United have recruited since Cristiano Ronaldo sauntered off to Madrid 10 years ago are Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan, Bebe and Zaha. Three were bought in successive summers and Valencia has spent half his United career at full-back.
What makes the position so problematic for United is they have passed on worthy solutions. Bernardo Silva touched down and blended into the Manchester Airport crowd like a chameleon until a United fan clocked him and asked whether he was about to become a red or a blue. Silva politely smiled and City got a snip at £43million.
Manchester United latest news News: United confirm Antonio Valencia farewell plans and give Ander Herrera update Latest: Manchester United make Mike Phelan announcement Transfers: Manchester United manager asked about Daniel James transfer speculation Highlights: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Manchester United press conference "He is the best," Pep Guardiola purred on Friday. "Bernardo can play incredible here and anywhere. Give me any team, he will play well there. He does everything good. He can get in any team in the world.
"He was the best. Not just in our team, but I don't vote."
Jose Mourinho liked Silva but prioritised a more natural winger in Ivan Perisic, a misguided approach in an era where full-backs now double as wingers. Silva required a year-long bedding in period but has had a vintage second season and is undroppable if and when Kevin de Bruyne is fit. The phasing out of David Silva has begun.
Read More Daniel James camp’s stance on United transfer reports Another right winger, Lucas Moura, was a curious target for Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2012. Valencia was United's reigning player of the year and Nani was at his most consistent from the right.
"Right towards the end of my time at United we were pursuing Lucas Moura, the immensely talented right winger who, at the time, was playing in his native Brazil for Sao Paulo," Ferguson wrote in his 2015 book Leading .
"We offered £24million for him, which was upped to £30m and again to £35m, but Paris Saint-Germain signed him for £45m. David and I were just not prepared to go to those sorts of levels."
Read More United confirm Antonio Valencia farewell plans and give Ander Herrera update Mourinho cherished Brazilians. "I think that a team without a Brazilian isn't a team," he opined a year ago. United were devoid of a Brazilian until Fred arrived in the summer but invited to acquire Moura in the winter by Paris Saint-Germain. Only Mourinho made that a non-starter.
"What Paris Saint Germain did this season with Neymar and Mbappe, they get two of probably the four best attacking players in the word - they get two at the same time," he explained. "And then players like [Angel] Di Maria, [Julian] Draxler, [Javier] Pastore, Lucas, they are second choices. Money makes a difference."
Read More United have already started their squad rebuild In fairness to United, they were reluctant to dance to PSG's tune as the French media ran baseless stories linking Moura with the club. They have been used as pawns time and again by continental clubs in the market and PSG succeeded in smoking out Tottenham as the buyer, just as they did with Serge Aurier.
Malcom was viewed as a more desirable right-sided option by United, who blew City out of the water for Alexis Sanchez to further imbalance a lopsided attack. Moura, still just 26, would have been a worthy punt on a loan arrangement or for £25m. He has scored as many goals as Romelu Lukaku this season but Mourinho was smitten with another Brazilian right flanker; Willian.
Silva scored the winner at Old Trafford Like his fellow Portuguese-speaker Silva, Moura took time to adapt but not as long - he received the Premier League Player of the Month award for August and has started 36 times amid intense competition among the Tottenham attackers. Regardless of Harry Kane's fitness, he might be assured of a Champions League final start. Tragicomically for United, Moura and Silva scored Old Trafford winners this season.
City's quest for an unparalleled British treble is underpinned by two quality outfield players per position and United do not even have one to occupy the right berth in their senior squad. The area has become so key Louis van Gaal might wonder what a difference Sadio Mane could have made had United prised him from Southampton in 2015.
Maybe another Dutchman could make a difference.
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