Aaron Wan-Bissaka is missing from the Man United squad for the Community Sheild and a top West Ham board source has confirmed why.
The will he, won’t he Aaron Wan-Bissaka saga looks like it is nearing a conclusion for West Ham and Man United.
New Manchester United co-owners INEOS have made it clear they will not allow players to run down their contracts.
And West Ham have been actively targeting players going into the final year of their deals.
Wan-Bissaka’s agent Will Salthouse is a close friend of West Ham co-owner David Sullivan and his sons.
Salthouse has been pleading with Sullivan to sign his 26-year-old client.
Wan-Bissaka missing from Man United squad
And new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui wanted to sign the Manchester United right-back when he was at Wolves.
With that as background many might have assumed this would be a straightforward deal between the Irons and Red Devils.
It has been anything but, dragging on for nearly two months.
Manchester United paid £50m for Wan-Bissaka. So Old Trafford chiefs are understandably keen to recoup a decent chunk of that outlay through his sale.
A large severance payment of around £3m – not the £7m being reported elsewhere – has been the main hold-up.
West Ham have been busy putting together what looks an outstanding transfer window. On paper at least.
The east Londoners are on the verge of signing top centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo – the Nice star Manchester United were blocked from signing by UEFA.
Reports have been gathering pace that Wan-Bissaka will become the Hammers’ eighth summer signing.
A host of sources such as Fabrizio Romano and Florian Plettenberg claim the deal is now edging ever closer.
Top West Ham board source confirms why Wan-Bissaka is absent
But West Ham and Man United fans have been hearing that for weeks.
Now, though, there has been a very telling development.
Because Wan-Bissaka is missing from the Man United squad and a top West Ham board source confirms why.
Close confidant of Sullivan, Sean Whetstone, has revealed that Wan-Bissaka is not in Manchester United’s squad for the Community Shield clash against bitter rivals Man City.
Any game against Man City is huge for Man United and vice versa.
And Wan-Bissaka almost always starts these big games for the Red Devils given his defensive prowess.
However, Whetstone says he’s not in the squad and it’s not just because of a knock sustained against Liverpool last weekend.
‘It is related to a move to West Ham’
But rather because a move to Manchester United is now on the verge of finally going through.
“Aaron Wan-Bissaka has not travelled with the Manchester United squad for today’s Charity (Comminuty) Shield at Wembley between the two Manchester Premier League clubs according to a source close to the Red Devils,” Whetstone said.
“While AWB has been suffering from a small injury since and did not train yesterday, the same source insists his absence is related to a potential move to West Ham with Manchester United closer to agreeing a compensation package with their right back.”
This is monumental news with substance for West Ham.
It should also mean Man United are now able to compete their own move for Bayern Munich right-back Noussair Mazraoui.
Erik ten Hag worked with Mazraoui at Ajax and is said to feel his superior attacking abilities to those of Wan-Bissaka better suit the style he wants to implement.
On the flip side, many Man United fans feel the club will miss Wan-Bissaka’s attributes in defence.
West Ham supporters know just how sorely they are needed at their club after the Hammers shipped a Premier League club record 74 goals last season.
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