Crystal Palace are reportedly keen to re-sign Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and the right-back could be a superb addition to Patrick Vieira's squad at Selhurst Park.

What's the word?

According to the Manchester Evening News, United are desperate to sell Wan-Bissaka as he isn't in new manager Erik ten Hag's plans.

The Eagles are said to be keen on bringing him back to London but are only willing to pay £10m, having sold him to United in a deal worth £50m only three years ago.

Vieira would love him

Vieira currently alternates between Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward as his first choice right-back options at Palace, and while both are solid players, they are 31 and 32 respectively, which suggests that a long-term solution is needed in that area.

Wan-Bissaka has endured a difficult time at Manchester United, as his technical abilities in an attacking side have been exposed, only scoring twice and registering ten assists in 126 fixtures at a dismal goal involvement rate of one every 10.5 matches.

However, in a more structured defence such as Palace's, where the defenders aren't expected to go forward as much, he could be a huge success.

Even in poor form, there is no doubt that Wan-Bissaka is one of the top one-on-one defenders in the Premier League, with very few wingers getting the better of him during his time with both Palace and United.

Indeed, he has only been dribbled past 0.47 times per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, putting him in the best 4% of full-backs for that particular metric across Europe's top five leagues.

Wes Brown, a man who knows a lot about how to defend, emphasised this in 2020, saying:

“What else can you say about Aaron Wan-Bissaka? I’ve not really seen many like him and that’s the honest truth. Defensively, in one-on-ones, he’s definitely one of the best I’ve ever seen. He’s settled in so well and I don’t think there are many players who have got past him this season.”

Wan-Bissaka's last season at Crystal Palace saw him make 35 appearances in the Premier League, for which he averaged a superb 7.27 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

 

With the added experience he has gained at United, combined with the fact that he is still just 24, signing him for £10m could be a no-brainer for Vieira this summer, especially if he can rediscover the form he first showed at the club.

Wan-Bissaka's pace, strength and ability in defensive situations suggest that he could slot perfectly into Vieira's back four, and the French manager would surely love to bring him back to Selhurst Park before the transfer deadline.