Despite playing as a winger for most of his youth, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is quickly establishing himself as one of the best right-backs in the game. Coveted by Manchester rivals City and United, the 21-year-old appears on the verge of a big money move this summer.
Yet to make represent England at senior level, the rapid youngster will be hoping to overtake Liverpools assist machine Trent Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order next season. This analysis will shine a light on his qualities with the help of statistics.
Offensive one v ones and delivery
As mentioned already, Wan-Bissaka came through the ranks at Crystal Palace as a winger, only making the transition to fullback after being moved up to the first team. His ability to outplay an opponent in wide areas is therefore unsurprising.
Along with pace, the England U21 defender has excellent ball control. He is also capable of shifting his marker with feints and dummies, before driving past them to deliver a cross. On average, he engages in 7.27 offensive duels per game, beating his man 56.3% of the time. For comparison, Kyle Walker, Matt Doherty, Ashley Young, and Alexander-Arnold all failed to reach five take-ons per 90.
The images below illustrate his one v one qualities going forward. Having received possession in the right half-space, he fakes to carry the ball further infield. The opposing left-back becomes unbalanced, creating the conditions for Wan-Bissaka to progress on the outside.
After taking the ball beyond his defender, he looks up to see Andros Townsend making a blind-side run towards the six-yard box. He delivers a precise cross under pressure, with Townsend heading against the post.
Using fake movements to shift his opponents out of the space before driving forward with the ball is a common feature of Wan-Bissakas game. The level of subtlety he shows is quite rare among fullbacks, making the rumoured interest from top clubs all the understandable.
Often with teams that look to pin back their opposition, the fullbacks are tasked with holding the width. Their positioning alone can have a positive influence on the play, often increasing the gaps between defenders as they look to retain access to wide areas.
However,
