Is Luke Shaw good enough to be Manchester United’s left back?

The £ 30m signing of Manchester United by Luke Shaw in the summer of 2014 represented an investment in one of the most promising young talents in English football. At that time, Shaw was seen as a future superstar of the game, surely England’s next big left back after the Ashley Cole era. Old Trafford was to be his platform for continuing his development.

This development has stalled for several years, while the injuries have robbed Shaw of so much. It didn’t just cost full time, as he spent most of two full seasons on the sidelines, but also some of his physical attributes. The lightning pace that certainly brought United to Shaw in the first half has disappeared, as has the fear and safety of the player.

This season involved Shaw’s rehabilitation, not only in the physical sense, but in the sense of his career as a whole. The 24-year-old has enjoyed the longest game streak of his career at Manchester United to date, avoiding injury for an entire season at the club for the first time. It must be a source of satisfaction for the defender.

Yet, despite Shaw allowing a series of impressive displays, the feeling remains that United will have to find an update to the left to challenge the most important titles and honors again. While Shaw has been pretty solid, while his injury problems seem to be behind him for the time being, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be forced to enter the market to find a replacement.

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The role of the full back has changed over the decade. While they were once seen as first defenders, they are now primarily seen as auxiliary strikers. This is where Shaw falls. Compare his stats with those of Andy Robertson, the left-back for this season’s Premier League winners and the flaws of the united man become evident.

Robertson has recorded eight assists in 29 league appearances this season. Shaw, on the other hand, failed to get a single assist in 20 league appearances. At a time when top teams are expected to have multi-dimensional full-backs, Shaw doesn’t have the tools to take Manchester United where they want to go.

Solskjaer could have started Shaw in each of United’s last 14 games, but he is certainly aware of the left-back’s favorite limits. Brandon Williams joined the senior team at Old Trafford this summer, but the nineteen-year-old still has a role and is still learning the right-wing role. If Chelsea and Manchester City are targeting new left backs this summer, the Red Devils should be too.

Shaw has been a safe pair of hands for United this season. While many of his defensive teammates have eaten Old Trafford are prone to the strange mistake, the 24 year old very rarely makes a mistake. But is it enough for a club that wants to climb to the top of the English and European game?

Timing may seem somewhat odd given that Shaw has been performing at his highest and most sustained level since arriving from Southampton six years ago, but Manchester United’s need for a new left back has never been clearer. It may be now, after so many years of perseverance, that Shaw has to give up.