Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace are 11th in the Premier League table (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Patrick Vieira has remained coy on whether he will attempt to bring Manchester United outcast Aaron Wan-Bissaka back to Crystal Palace in January.
Wan-Bissaka moved to Old Trafford in 2019 for £50million, a record sale for Palace, but could be set for a return to Selhurst Park having hardly featured for United this season.
Prior to the World Cup, the right-back had played played just four minutes of football under Erik ten Hag, and it was largely expected that he would leave the Red Devils when the transfer window opens in just over a week’s time.
As well as Palace, Wolves and West Ham are also said to be interested in acquiring his services, either on loan or in a permanent deal.
However, with Diogo Dalot injured, Wan-Bissaka started United’s Carabao Cup win over Burnley on Wednesday night and performed very well, keeping a clean sheet and assisting Christian Eriksen for the opener.
Post-match, Ten Hag was very complimentary of his player, saying: ‘It’s clear he has a future. He had some good years here at United, but from the start this season he had a lot of illnesses and injuries, so running behind.’
As a result, it’s unclear whether the 25-year-old is still available for a transfer, though that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill for now, with upgrading the right-back position a huge priority for Palace.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka played very well for Man Utd against Burnley (Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Vieira was asked directly about the possibility of signing Wan-Bissaka during his press conference on Friday, ahead of their Boxing Day clash against Fulham.
He replied: ‘Listen, he is a Man United player. We have to respect that and there’s nothing more to say about that.
‘He is a good player, there is no doubt about that. He’s related to this football club and I think he’s been loved by the fans. But again, he’s a United player.
‘I hope we’re going to be busy [in January]. We always work hard to try to improve the squad but we know how tough and difficult it is to find the players to improve the team.
‘We are quite short on numbers but it is important to find the right players.’]
MORE : Erik ten Hag can’t hide smile as Manchester United boss is quizzed on transfer target Cody Gakpo
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Patrick Vieira wants to improve his squad in January.
