New Diogo Dalot contract leaves unanswered questions for Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Manchester United

Diogo Dalot deserves his new deal but a part of him might have been quietly relieved to have been shown an act of faith from his manager.

The right-back was never destined for the exit door but after a stellar first half of the season, he has slipped behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the pecking order. Dalot played every game he was available for before the World Cup which comprised 20 starts.

Just 17 have followed in the 40 matches since then and five of those have been at left-back. He might have inked his signature on the dotted line that bit quicker on Wednesday as a result.

ALSO READ: Diogo Dalot signs new Manchester United contract

The resurgence of Wan-Bissaka was unexpected and pleasantly surprising. He has now played a total of 2,480 minutes this season but just four of them came before mid-season break.

The 2019 £50m signing has kept the likes of Phil Foden, Sergi Roberto and Gabriel Martinelli at bay this campaign and put in a brilliant defensive shift against Allan Saint-Maximin in the League Cup final after coming on for a struggling Dalot.

So it is no surprise that Wan-Bissaka - who was offered to other clubs in the summer - has impressed officials at United. He has 12 months left on his current contract with the option for a further year’s extension.

While Dalot’s new contract is a renewal of faith, there seems to be no such concrete backing from United regarding an extension or anything more beyond kind words for Wan-Bissaka. It’s not panic stations but United’s contact with Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong makes for slight unease for the former Crystal Palace player.

There still remains a few unanswered questions about his future in Ten Hag’s side. A West Ham move and a Crystal Palace return