Manchester United defender Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has reportedly emerged as a target for Ajax as the youngster looks to exit Old Trafford
According to a report by Daily Mail, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has come under the radar of Ajax as the Dutch club are keen on pursuing a deal for the Manchester United defender.
Borthwick-Jackson began his career as a Manchester United trainee and grew from strength to strength over the years as he developed into a promising full-back. He even made a mark in the first-team under previous manager Louis van Gaal since several players were injured at the time and the youngster did not let the team down.
The defender spent last season on loan in the Championship with Wolves, but failed to make any impact since he could record only seven appearances. Things did not improve when Paul Lambert took charge in November last year since he exiled him out of the starting squad.
Borthwick-Jackson then spent the second half of the campaign playing for United’s under-23s. The defender is unlikely to get a starting spot under Jose Mourinho since the Portuguese manager was the one who sent him out on loan in the first place. Hence, an exit seems like the ideal solution.
Ajax have agreed to sell Jairo Riedewald to Crystal Palace and are in the market for a left-sided defender, which provides Borthwick-Jackson with an opportunity to cement that position for himself. Meanwhile, Leeds United and Reading are also believed to be interested in the United player.
The left-back impressed under Van Gaal, but his lack of experience seems to be an issue since Mourinho did choose to deploy Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian at left back instead of the youngster. He was also left out of United’s pre-season tour of the United States so a summer exit for Borthwick-Jackson seems most likely.
It does seem rather unfortunate that only last year Borthwick-Jackson was voted United’s U21 player of the year and that now he needs to secure an exit in order to clock regular playing minutes. However, joining either Ajax or Leeds seem to be a better option for the defender. He needs to play more minutes and both clubs can provide that.
