Ex-Man Utd player who only made 12 appearances for the club ‘keen’ to make shock Old Trafford return

A forgotten player wants to make a return.

A former Manchester United player who made just 12 appearances for the club is said to be ‘keen’ on a surprise return to Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag’s side have been busy in the transfer market this summer, but have as yet only brought in two new faces.

United have spent a combined £85 million on Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, are in talks with PSG over the signing of Manuel Ugarte and have been heavily linked with Adrien Rabiot and Jarrad Branthwaite.

The side still could have plenty of issues in the defensive third of the pitch, however, with right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka potentially departing the club.

At left-back, Luke Shaw is fit again after a hamstring injury ruled him out of the back end of the season. But neither he nor Tyrell Malacia, who is yet to return to action after over a year out, is on United’s pre-season tour of the States.

Diogo Dalot, who can fill in there, is also not in the States, meaning Ten Hag is having to use academy players instead.

Once the season gets underway, all three of Shaw, Wan-Bissaka and Dalot are set to be fit, but that still leaves Ten Hag a player light at full-back.

According to Fabrizio Romano, one player who is keen to help plug the gap is Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Old Trafford.

The Spaniard made 12 appearances, with four of those starts, before January, but United terminated his loan contract as they anticipated swift returns for Shaw and Malacia.

As it happened, Malacia didn’t play all season, and Shaw did return but suffered a season-ending injury in February.

Romano explained: “Sergio Reguilon was very happy in Manchester. If United decided to return for Sergio Reguilon, he would be keen.

“He loved his time at United. It was a short time, but he was very happy with the club, with the tactical idea.”

However, Reguilon does not appear to be at the forefront of United’s thinking when it comes to new signings.

The club have instead been linked with the signing of Bayern Munich right-back Noussair Mazraoui, whom Ten Hag believes can help to ‘unlock’ the potential of his former Ajax team-mate Antony down the right flank.