Former Manchester United and Premier League defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah is not part of the plans at Bayer Leverkusen after being left out of their official UEFA Europa League squad.
The former Manchester United right-back may have the current one to blame as he faces months in exile at the Bundesliga giants. Had Aaron Wan-Bissaka not salvaged his Old Trafford career with a series of supreme performances in the second half of last season, Jeremie Frimpong might be a United player these days.
Instead, Erik ten Hag put his pursuit of Frimpong on the backburner, placing his trust in Wan-Bissaka. Thus, the jet-heeled Dutchman remains at Xabi Alonso’s disposal, Frimpong continuing to keep Timothy Fosu-Mensah out of the Leverkusen XI as a result.
As the former goes from strength-to-strength, the latter has little choice but to watch on wistfully from the sidelines. Fosu-Mensah has not played a single minute in any of Leverkusen’s four games so far in 2023/24, Alonso’s enthralling, exhilarating side emerging as potential usurpers to Bayern Munich’s iron throne.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah struggling after Manchester United exit
According to Kicker, Fosu-Mensah is not part of Alonso’s long or even short-term plans.
Alongside Nadiem Amiri – who turned down a move to Leeds United even after a £5 million fee had been agreed in August – the Man United academy graduate has been omitted from Leverkusen’s 25-man Europa League squad ahead of next Thursday’s clash with Swedish outfit BK Hacken.
Fosu-Mensah made 30 appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Germany in 2021 for a fee of just £1.5 million. He even started the 2016 FA Cup semi-final victory over Everton at Wembley; then-United boss Louis van Gaal speaking in glowing terms about the teenage full-back.
Van Gaal was a big fan
“I gave compliments to my players because it is not so easy to win these games,” Van Gaal smiled after an 18-year-old Fosu-Mensah shone in a nervy 1-0 win over Watford (Manchester Evening News).
“Timothy has saved us three times I think, because of his speed. I was very pleased he was on the pitch. I let him stay on the pitch in the second half because he was the player who always closed the door for us.”
Flash forward eight years, and it is Alonso ‘closing the door’ on Fosu-Mensah these days.