The Athletic (subscription needed) is reporting that Manchester United are set to offer a bumper new deal to Brandon Williams after the youngster has made himself a regular at the club. The defender, at this moment, earns £4,000 per week and that would be increased respectably in the renewed offer. After cementing his place in the side, the Englishman has been deemed eligible for an offer by the club which would take his earning to more than ten times his current wage.
The rise of Brandon Williams
The 19-year-old left-back has impressed one and all with his performances this season, and this is the primary reason that United have recognised him as a long term prospect. Luke Shaw has been their number one choice in the left-back slot for a long time and to give competition to him; the board had been looking to bring in a new player. Then came Williams, and it was evident that Ole Gunnar Solskjær saw him as a long term prospect, eliminating the requirement of a new player.
This season he has made 12 appearances in the league and 26 in all competitions with 1241 minutes of football under his belt. Last October, he signed a contract with the club that tied him to the Red Devils till 2022 with an option to extend it for a further year. However, his growing influence has convinced the board that he deserves a new offer and a pay hike.
The skill-set of Williams
The starlet has at times kept Shaw out of the team, and that is not without reason. His passing range is exceptionally versatile with the youngster completing 83.5% of his total passes in the Premier League this season. Man United often demand their full-backs to play long balls to their wingers, who in turn are vested with the duty of bringing the ball into the final third.
In that context, Williams has created 3.4 long balls per match in the Europa League this season, although the number comes down to 0.9 in the Premier League, displaying that he is yet to be well equipped with handling the pressure.
Is he the long-term man for the club?
The England U-20 is a new generation wing-back and can sprint down the flanks helping the attack. Adept at dribbling, the youngster has amassed 2.4 dribbles per game this term, and this number can go further up with time. Although his attacking contributions have been limited so far, the pundits believe that he can soon emulate the offensive threats of Andrew Robertson.
Moreover, Luke Shaw’s injury-prone nature has meant that Williams got enough opportunities to hone his skills, and he has enough in him to become one of the best players at his position in the future.
Stats from Whoscored.
