Manchester United has fielded some very famous players throughout the years in the Premier League. Whether they are a striker, midfielder, defender, or goalkeeper, they have all helped the Red Devils achieve great success on the field, especially under Sir Alex Ferguson.

There have been some of United’s most underappreciated left-backs in the Premier League era. Some of the greatest full-backs in the competition’s history have worn the recognizable red shirt, and they may not receive the credit they merit.

2011’s Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United
Denis Irwin was maybe the greatest of the bunch. The renowned Irishman, who was equally capable of playing right back on the other wing, made 512 appearances for United. Between 1990 to 2001, he was a player with Ferguson, and in 1999, he played a pivotal role in the historic triple success.

Irwin was eventually replaced by Patrice Evra, a Frenchman. The dynamic defender made 379 appearances for United and experienced Champions League victory in 2008. The most recent of the three, Luke Shaw, has played 275 times for the team and, despite several setbacks in his Old Trafford tenure, his technical skill is evident.

The Manchester United patrice Évra
With the transfer window still open, United is reportedly interested in another left-back who may eventually be added to this distinguished group.

Premier League left-back Man Utd is interested in
The individual under consideration is Rayan Ait-Nouri, a left-back for Wolverhampton Wanderers and an Algerian international. After a string of exceptionally strong seasons at Molineux, the 23-year-old is currently being strongly linked to a departure from the team.

Given their need for depth in that position, United is rumored to have “explored the possibility of landing” the Algerian this summer, according to a report from GIVEMESPORT. Bradley Locko, Milos Kerkez, and Ferdi Kadioglu are among the other targets mentioned in the study.

Ait-Nouri, a player with the Wolves,
Wolves, though, could charge the Red Devils too much to get their standout left-back this summer. Wolves might ‘raise their demands’ for Ait-Nouri after selling Max Kilman to West Ham for £40 million, even though earlier reports said he had a £38 million release clause.

This summer, Ait-Nouri is not the only team interested in joining the Red Devils. Arch-rivals Liverpool are reportedly also considering a trade for the Algerian international, according to a number of publications.

How Luke Shaw and Ait-Nouri are comparable
It is impossible to overstate how important the 23-year-old was to Wolves last season. Ait-Nouri participated in 33 Premier League games, recording two goals and one assist during that time.

He was a key player in Gary O’Neil’s transitional style of play, sprinting down the left side as a wing-back in a system that fit the young player’s exceptional technical skill and lightning-fast pace. Football commentator Dougie Critchley emphasized this, saying that Ait-Nouri is “among the Premier League’s finest players.”

Up the pitch, the @Wolves way ð\º pic.twitter.com/UtkraLTTly — Premier League (@premierleague) May 2, 2024 Rayan Ait-Nouri’s flick to Matheus Cunha’s rabona ð\ª„
Because of their incredible technical skill, United might not be able to do much better should they choose to recruit the Algerian as a rival and potential Shaw successor. Shaw’s seasonal stats from 2022–2023 are utilized instead of those from previous term since he played much more minutes, and their FBref numbers compare favorably with each other as well.

Ait-Nouri averages 2.59 progressive carries per 90 possessions, while the United left-back only manages 1.87. Furthermore, with 1.85 and 0.31 carries into the penalty area, respectively, the Algerian simply outperforms Shaw in both areas.

A carry is deemed progressive if it travels into the penalty area or toward the opponent’s goal at a distance of at least ten yards from its initial starting position.

Shaw vs. Ait-Nouri carrying numbers

Stat (as of 90)

Ait-Nouri

Shaw

carries progressive

2.59

1.87

continues until the last third

1.85

1.55

carries into the penalty area

0.31

0.11

Attempts at take-ons

4.44

1.37

Take-ons finished

2.39

0.49

Success rate at take-on

53.9%

35.9%

Fbref statistics

Shaw excels in the imaginative passing numbers, though. The number 23 for United is a technical marvel who averages 4.93 progressive passes, 5.95 passes into the last third of the game, and 1.2 critical passes each contest. Ait-Nouri, in contrast, averages somewhat less even though he is still very good. Not too bad, considering that the Algerian plays 3.82 progressive passes, 2.32 passes into the final third, and 0.97 critical passes per ninety minutes on average.

If a pass is progressive, it is one that is completed into the penalty area or gets at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal from the starting position to the following touch.

Once again, the two are really close to one another defensively. Ait-Nouri averages 3.32 tackles and interceptions per game, while Shaw averages 3.20. The Wolves number three’s tackle win percentage is 57.1%, whereas the United left-back’s is 69.6%.

The Englishman’s victory percentage in aerial duel matches is also significantly higher than Ait-Nouri’s, coming in at 61.3% vs the Algerian’s 45.7%. Shaw also has an advantage over the Wolves left-back in ball recoveries, averaging 6.65 to 5.25.

Jordan, Ayew, Rayan, It, and Nour
Given their comparable numbers and great technical skill, United could not make a mistake by adding Ait-Nouri to challenge Shaw and eventually take his spot. The Algerian would not mind playing frequently, but Erik ten Hag must make sure Shaw gets enough rest after his injury problems from the previous campaign. Due to two different muscle ailments, he missed 34 games in all competitions during the previous season.

With a rumored release clause of under £38 million, this may be a pretty wise summer acquisition for the Red Devils, even though the cost is yet unknown. They would undoubtedly be far outperforming Shaw in terms of carrying the ball.