Fosu-Mensah ready to be flexible to win slot at United
TIMOTHY Fosu-Mensah admits he is willing to play in any position to satisfy Jose Mourinho following another encouraging display at rightback.
The 19-year-old put in an impressive shift at right-back against Real Madrid on Sunday night and stood up to the challenge of facing Gareth Bale.
It was the Dutchman’s third appearance in the position on the club’s pre-season tour and it seems Mourinho sees him as Antonio Valencia’s deputy.
But, with left-back Luke Shaw due to return in September, and Matteo Darmian in reserve at right-back, Fosu-Mensah admits he will be happy to play at centre back and defensive midfield, too, if it means getting on the field.
“I like them all.” he said after the penalty shoot-out win over Madrid.
“If the manager wants me to play centre-back I’ll play there. If he wants me to play defensive midfield, I’ll play there. If he wants me to play right-back, I’ll play there. I can play them all, so it’s not a problem.”
After being handed his debut by Louis van Gaal 18 months ago, Fosu-Mensah has gone on to make 21 first-team appearances for United.
The versatile youngster was handed a new four-year deal by Mourinho last October, but only made four starts under the Portuguese last season.
Having gone on to start two pre-season games, Fosu-Mensah believes youngsters will get their chance under Mourinho.
“Marcus (Rashford) played the most games last season, so I think the reputation, what they say about him, is not true,” he said. “He gives you the chance and as a young player you have to grab your chance with both hands.” CITY have come close to breaking the world-record transfer fee for a defender with the £49.1m addition of Benjamin Mendy - and the value of his rearguard ilk is as startling as some BBC employees’ salaries.
Virgil van Dijk is priced at a minimum £60m by Southampton, Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez has a £56m release clause but has entered the last year of his contract.
Michael Keane cost Everton £30m, Antonio Rudiger joined Chelsea for £34m, Kyle Walker moved for £45m and United could eventually pay Benfica £39m for Victor Lindelof.
Including Mendy, City have signed five of the 10 most expensive defenders in the last three years and their three central defensive arrivals have unconvinced.
They were preparing to cut their losses of Eliaquim Mangala after 18 months, John Stones has received his own Game of Thrones meme (‘You know nothing, John Stones’) and Nicolas Otamendi hospitalised City striker Gabriel Jesus! Their defence remains reliant on Vincent Kompany, who has had his own injury problems.
United are also becoming dependent on a centre-half.
Lindelof, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have all had the jitters at various stages on tour but have enjoyed their most secure outings next to Eric Bailly.
In the current market, Bailly must be valued at double the £30m United paid for him 13 months ago and the 23-year-old is on the cusp of world-class recognition.
He is so highly regarded Antonio Valencia even spoke English to extol him. “This is my friend Eric Bailly, the best centre-back in the world,” he told a United film crew at UCLA. Bailly bashfully wagged his finger and rejected the claim.
Often compared with Nemanja Vidic, Bailly possesses similar gravitas and the extrovert was United’s cheerleader in Stockholm for the Europa League final, throwing a water bottle at the bench to encourage his teammates to start their celebrations early before commandeering Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s crutch. It went flying at full-time. Lindelof might only settle into a United shirt once he starts next to Bailly. Watching the Swede fret over the midfielders’ positioning in Houston and that hapless hack in Santa Clara, Lindelof could do with Bailly’s guidance. Bailly made his first start across the Atlantic against Real Madrid, yet there is a justifiable claim he is United’s player of the tour ahead of tomorrow’s match in Washington DC. That Mourinho has primarily experimented with different formations and personnel at centre half from the start merely acknowledges Bailly’s status as an untouchable first-teamer. Since he stepped foot on American soil, Bailly has performed near flawlessly and a forward is yet to get the better of him. Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema were shackled effortlessly and Barcelona’s ‘MSN’ await in DC. Do not be surprised if the United No.3 is as immaculate as the capital’s Neoclassical architecture. Samuel Luckhurst