Manchester United are this week being tipped to join derby rivals Manchester City in the race to sign Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna. Incoming manager Louis van Gaal has reportedly identified the 31-year-old as a summer target and wants the defender to compete with Rafael for a fullback slot at Old Trafford. Cross-city rivals City however are also interested, with some reports suggesting the new Premier League champions are set to offer Sagna a four-year deal worth somewhere in the region of £100,000-a-week. Both Manchester clubs have plucked players from the Emirates in the past, with City doing so quite memorably when they signed Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009, while Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy have both swapped the Emirates for the Etihad in the past. United meanwhile landed Robin van Persie from the Gunners in 2012. But is Sagna really the ideal solution for either side's defensive issues? Especially at United, where Rafael is progressing quite well, though admittedly with very little competition at right-back to keep him on his toes. Sagna is now 31, and with Red Devils stalwarts Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand both leaving the club, signing another veteran defender doesn't seem logical. If we are to sign a new right-back to provide competition for Rafael this summer, here we take a look at 5 better alternatives.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
