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29th Mar 2017

Manchester United head scout identifies new left back to challenge Luke Shaw

Only 19 too

Patrick McCarry

Manchester United are unlikely to part ways with Luke Shaw any time soon but they would like to keep the fire lit beneath him by bringing in some serious competition.

Shaw has made 15 appearances for United this season but, given his club’s deep involvement in cup competitions, he would have expected to feature more. Jose Mourinho has been reluctant to give him a run of games to prove himself before removing him from the fray.

Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind have all had various tenures in the position but it remains one that Mourinho is not satisfied with.

It is no surprise, then, to learn United head of scouting Marcel Bout has been up to Glasgow to watch Celtic’s highly rated left back Kieran Tierney. The 19-year-old Scotland international has flourished under Brendan Rodgers and Bout was part of the crowd that watched him in the recent Old Firm draw with Rangers.

The Daily Mail report that he is a serious transfer target and that United are due to send Bout, or another leading scout, to see Celtic take on Hearts this weekend.

Tierney was switched to right back for Scotland’s win over Slovenia last weekend, and such flexibility will do his case no harm at all.

The paper reports that Celtic will not part with Tierney lightly and will slap a £10m price-tag on his head to hopefully ward off the likes of United and Arsenal. Tierney signed a five-year deal with the club last summer but a big bid in the coming months could loosen Celtic’s grip.

‘United are also known to have looked at Celtic’s top scorer Moussa Dembele,’ the report tantalisingly concludes.