Why Sergio Reguilon could be what Rasmus Hojlund needs at Manchester United

When Sergio Reguilon signed for Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur in 2020, it was no secret that Manchester United had been competing with the north London side for the Spaniard’s signature.

Now, just three years later, Reguilon has arrived at Old Trafford as United look to plug holes in their squad created by injuries.

Tottenham were happy to let Reguilon leave but may live to regret letting him leave quite so easily to a potential top-four competitor.

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Despite being at the club for three years, Reguilon was quick to fall out of favour at Tottenham. A string of poor performances at the end of the 2020/21 season and a lack of cutting edge under the ruthless Antonio Conte saw Reguilon become something of an outcast at Spurs.

A loan to Atletico Madrid followed, however, Reguilon played just 11 league games for Diego Simeone’s side. This is not to say Reguilon could not be improved defensively by Erik ten Hag.

So, is a player who has not played consistent football for nearly two seasons a strong candidate to be a starter for United, at least until one of Shaw and Malacia are fit again?

Reguilon was dropped by Conte due to his lack of cutting-edge in front of goal. Conte has always demanded that his wing-backs are attack-focused and strong in front of goal.

At United, Reguilon will not be asked to be a ruthless finisher and will have much less attacking onus placed on him, even if Ten Hag does like his full-backs to push forward. In his last playing season at Spurs, the 26-year-old scored two goals and chipped in with three assists across 25 games.

Reguilon was a strong crosser during his time at Spurs under Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo. His crossing ability will