When Manchester United signed Alex Telles from Porto in the summer of 2020, most of the people keeping tabs on the Red Devils had chosen the new man over long-time first choice, Luke Shaw, in the position. However, things have not gone according to the way they were expected in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.
The Englishman challenged Telles for game time and has come out on the right end, becoming the most creative full-back in the Premier League in the process. While he only has five assists in the league to show for it, the chances created by the player outshine all other players in similar positions in the league.
Shaw ranks atop the list of the chances created per 90 from defence, with 2.43 while Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold comes in second with 1.72. This metric already sets him apart from most of the candidates for the best full-back in the league, especially given the recent popularity of the position owing to attack-minded full-backs becoming even more common across all divisions.
The 25-year-old’s revival as part of the Manchester United squad is exactly the reason why Gareth Southgate should consider Shaw as his first-choice left-back ahead of Ben Chilwell or Aaron Creswell of Chelsea and West Ham United respectively, at the Euros set to be held later this year.
Moreover, Luke Shaw can prove to be one of the main pieces behind Old Gunnar Solskjaer’s title challenge this season. The Manchester Reds are in second place behind local rivals Manchester City, who stand first in the league.
