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United’s second signing imminent

luke shawLuke Shaw is poised to become a Manchester United by the end of the week after he passed a medical on Thursday night ahead of a £27m deal which will bring the Southampton left-back to Old Trafford this summer.

Having announced the signing of Ander Herrera for £29m on Thursday, United look to have finally kickstarted the long-awaited revolution that had been anticipated since Louis Van Gaal was appointed manager before the World Cup and, so far at least, United seem to have learnt some valuable lessons from last summer’s fiasco.

While Herrera was somewhat of a surprise signing given United had been linked with a host of different midfielders over the last five weeks, Shaw had been firmly on United’s radar since the turn of the year and his arrival represents a major coup for United, given that at one stage Chelsea looked odds-on favourite to win the race for the 18-year-old, who supported the West London club as a child.

Chelsea, however, reportedly baulked at the price Southampton demanded for their left-back, while United were happy to fork out £27m plus a further £3m in add-ons for the man who enjoyed a superb season at Southampton and ended up forcing his way into the England squad for the World Cup, winning his third cap against Costa Rica as England’s World Cup campaign came to a premature end.

Shaw will rival Patrice Evra for the left-back spot, a position that has been cause for major concern over the last couple of seasons, as Evra’s attacking threat has diminished while he’s become a defensive liability and after David Moyes’ pursuit of Leighton Baines ended with the England left-back signing a new contract at Goodison Park, United knew they had to move fast to find a replacement for Evra.

In Shaw, they’ve found exactly that sort of player, for the youngster is quick, excellent defensively and a threat going forward and has already gained experience at the highest level, having played 60 Premier League games despite only turning 19 later this month. The fee, of course, will attract critics, as United have succumbed to the premium tax that is applied to young, talented, English players but should Shaw live up to the expectations, he could be a superb investment.