In the opinion of many, a flourishing wing-back department will be the key to Ruben Amorim's masterplan coming to fruition at Manchester United.
Following his appointment as the club's new head coach back in November, the Portuguese chief wasted no time at all in implementing his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.
He had enjoyed no shortage of success using that system at Sporting Lisbon and United supporters felt the formation would be the start of something special. However, it soon became obvious that he did not have the right tools to make it work.
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United made the signing of a left-sided wing-back their leading objective in the January transfer window and fulfilled their mission, signing Patrick Dorgu from Lecce for a fee worth £25million.
After making his debut from the right against Leicester City in the FA Cup a little over a fortnight ago, the Dane made his first appearance on the left against Tottenham Hotspur just over a week ago. He produced several eye-catching runs from deep, providing United with the width they both crave and need for the 3-4-2-1 system to work.
United have been starved of consistency on the left flank for more than a year, with Luke Shaw constantly injured and Diogo Dalot not a naturally left-sided player. Though Dorgu can also play on the right, the expectation is that he will become a left-sided player for United in the long-term.
Aged just 20, Dorgu has the capacity to make that position his own. He has the required skillset and the athletic attributes Amorim craves to become United's first-choice left wing-back for years to come.
However, United do not have a natural left wing-back beyond Dorgu in reserve. Dalot has demonstrated this season that he is not a suitable fit, meaning Dorgu needs a like-for-like competitor.
Of course, United are going to have far bigger transfer objectives to achieve this summer than signing a second-choice left-sided wing-back, but it is an addition that will need to be made at some point in the future amid Shaw's unreliability.
United's ideal answer to that particular conundrum could be found in the form of former defender Alvaro Fernandez, who left Old Trafford to join Benfica last summer. After spending the second half of last term on loan at the Portuguese outfit, he joined the club permanently for a fee of just £5m plus £2.5m in add-ons.
He has since flourished in Portugal, making 36 appearances so far this season, contributing three goals and five assists. He has played a key role in helping them reach the last 16 of the Champions League, in which they will face Barcelona.
With Fernandez having failed to make a competitive appearance for United, the club's decision to cash-in on him when they did made sense financially. They banked a guaranteed fee of £5m for a relatively unproven player and they also inserted a sell-on clause.
It was later revealed by the Manchester Evening News back in October that United also inserted a buy-back clause into the deal that will remain active until the summer of 2026. It is understood it can be activated for somewhere in the region of £16m.
United find themselves in a position where they need to watch every penny they spend, meaning the days of paying over the odds for players ought to be a thing of the past. Fernandez is only 21, meaning he would have resale value, and United need to try and prioritise signing younger players.
The Spaniard has predominantly played in a back-four for Benfica this season, but he has demonstrated his attacking capabilities on numerous occasions. He has also previously played as a wing-back in three-at-the-back and five-at-the-back formations, meaning he would be well versed with Amorim's preferred system.
Of course, the caveat is that Fernandez has established himself as a player who is regularly playing in the Champions League nowadays, and that is a luxury United cannot currently offer. They need to win the Europa League to be back in Europe's premier club competition next season.
Nevertheless, United have an option they can turn to strengthen their wing-back department without becoming embroiled in a bidding war or transfer saga.
