Last June, a report from the Daily Star claimed Augsburg left-back Philipp Max was ready to join Manchester United. However, a deal never materialised and the defender stayed put at the Bundesliga club.
Despite enjoying a rollicking last season in the Bundesliga that saw him assist 13 times, Philipp Max was not selected by Joachim Low in the Germany squad for the 2018 World Cup. This season, though, the left-back has managed just two goals and four assists in 22 Bundesliga games.
Regardless of the German defender’s productivity diminishing this season, Manchester United should reignite their interest in Philipp Max.
Manchester United interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed that ‘mountains are there to be climbed’ after his side lost 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford in February. That statement miraculously came true after two goals from Romelu Lukaku and a Marcus Rashford penalty right in the stoppage time handed the Red Devils a 3-1 victory in Paris and an unlikely spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Before Solskjaer arrived, United were 11 points behind fourth place and 19 points off leaders Liverpool. Now they are in fourth place, one point clear of fifth-place Arsenal and the football the Norwegian tactician has made the team play is exciting and so pleasing to watch.
Given how the club has been transformed and the feel-good factor is back at Old Trafford, it is very likely to see Solskjaer get the permanent keys of United ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. But to bridge the gap between the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, Solskjaer and co. will have a lot of work to do over the summer.
Reinforcing the defence has to be a priority, with a new centre-half and a left-back needed at the club. Luke Shaw has been excellent at left-back this season and was outstanding in the club’s 3-1 win at PSG on Wednesday. The England international was one of Jose Mourinho’s whipping boys but he improved dramatically that earned him a new five-year contract at the start of this season.
Solskjaer, unlikely his predecessor Mourinho, has encouraged Shaw to play higher up the pitch and express himself more on the ball. And the move has worked wonders but what Shaw needs now is competition to get to the next level.
Philipp Max would be an ideal fit for United, adding quality to the squad as well as competition for Shaw. The German is a fantastic crosser of the ball and a dead-ball specialist as well. The 25-year-old can make runs towards the opposition half but has the pace to recover those runs and defend well in one-on-one situations in wide areas. A fantastic tackler, he is also a good reader of the game and possesses the qualities to thrive in the Premier League.
At the age of 25, Max is at the peak of his career and the next five years could see him performing at the highest level. That makes him such an attractive prospect and United should have no qualms about paying top dollar for acquiring the left-back’s signature this summer.
