Manchester United have enjoyed an impressive resurgence under manager Erik ten Hag this season, with the Dutchman having already guided the club to Carabao Cup glory, with further honours still potentially on the cards.
One member of the first-team squad who has largely been a bystander to proceedings at Old Trafford of late, however, is academy graduate, Brandon Williams, with the versatile full-back having fallen way down the pecking order in recent years.
While still only 22, it remains to be seen if the Englishman has a future under the former Ajax boss having made just a solitary, five-minute appearance this season in the League Cup triumph over Burnley back in December.
Although injury has hampered the youngster's involvement throughout the campaign, the fact that the Manchester-born menace has rarely featured in the matchday squad when he has been fit is telling of his woes, with it having been no surprise that the defender was seemingly open to a loan exit in January.
Despite such a move having failed to pan out, it would seemingly be wise for Ten Hag to allow the forgotten figure to move on at the end of the season, with it looking unlikely that Williams will be able to dislodge either Tyrell Malacia or Luke Shaw at left-back any time soon.
What salary is Brandon Williams on at Man United?
In truth, if the former England U21 international is now surplus to requirements at the Theatre of Dreams, it should well be something of a priority to move him on come the summer, with United currently having to fork out to pay his reported £65k-per-week salary.
That is a rather hefty amount for a player who appears unlikely to get a look in this term, with Williams set to have cost the club roughly £10.1m in wages by the end of the current campaign, as per FBref.
On recent evidence, that simply appears money wasted due to the defender's lack of action, with the 5 foot 7 man having also struggled somewhat on loan at Norwich City last season, with talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino stating that the full-back had "gone backwards" after his initial promise.
The peripheral dud had previously burst onto the scene under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the 2019/20 campaign, racking up 17 Premier League appearances in that breakthrough season, notably scoring in exquisite fashion in the 3-3 draw away to Sheffield United.
Despite also emerging as a regular fixture in both domestic and European cup competitions that season, Williams was unable to build on that early success in the following campaign, having made just four top-flight outings in total.
The player himself suggested that the lack of crowds during that Covid-19 impacted year was a contributing factor in his struggles, although his subsequent form for the Canaries – where he provided just one assist in 26 league appearances – was also rather uninspiring.
As such, it must surely be time for the former youth star to be moved on by Ten Hag sooner rather than later, with it looking increasingly unlikely that Williams will be able to ever establish himself back in the side.
