£43m World Cup star had 20 minutes to convince Man United and did not take it

Manchester United had the perfect opportunity to look at one transfer target in the World Cup on Wednesday evening and would not have been impressed

As DR Congo edged towards a historic World Cup result against Portugal, Rafael Leao was introduced from the bench. Pitted against former Manchester United ace Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the AC Milan forward's task would have been to take the game to the Africans and get past the now West Ham United ace.

Leao, who is understood to be valued at around £43million by AC Milan, has been linked with a move to United for many seasons. But on the evidence of his display against the World Cup debutants, Michael Carrick will not be urging Sir Jim Ratcliffe to break the bank for him.

Wan-Bissaka was quite simply untroubled by Leao. He was seldom forced back by the winger, and whenever he was approached, the ex-United star kept him quiet. Wan-Bissaka barely had to break a sweat.

Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by _signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!

In 20 minutes, Leao attempted and completed nine passes and did not even take a single shot. There was the occasional dart down the left flank, but his crosses into the box had little impact - they certainly did not find Cristiano Ronaldo, who stormed off the pitch in disgust at his nation's display.

Leao is one of the more unique wingers on the planet. At his best, he ties full-backs in knots with his ambidextrous footwork and ability to cause trouble when cutting onto his right foot or driving down the line on his left.

Against the Congolese, he was ineffective and flat on both sides, more often than not being forced to turn around and play backwards. Worst of all, he did not even make up for his subpar attacking display by leading the press or covering his defenders in the defensive phase.

Carrick will have at least two more games to see Leao in action, if Martinez feels the AC Milan ace deserves another opportunity either in the starting eleven or from the bench. If he does get more game time, Carrick will need to see more from the forward to be convinced.

The United boss dragged the Reds up the table by imposing a structured, but intense, playing style that pushed opposition teams back and exploited any space in behind. Matheus Cunha featured regularly on the left and was pivotal for Carrick.

The variation in the Brazilian's game saw him score goals from different positions and angles on the pitch. The United boss also likes Patrick Dorgu, who was a revelation last season playing further forward.

Considering his adeptness with both feet, Leao's profile may fit Carrick's vision for how he wants his teams to attack.

But the lack of intensity, bite and aggression in his game against DR Congo may be the ultimate red flag for Carrick, who played through the Sir Alex Ferguson era of wide United stars flying up and down the wings like the Red Arrows. Nothing of the sort was on display in Portugal's draw with the West Africans.

If Leao does get more opportunities in the USA, Mexico and Canada, Carrick will at least be able to see how he handles pressure. Portugal have made life difficult for themselves with the draw with DR Congo.

They cannot afford to lose or drop points in their next match as they conclude Group K with a dangerous clash against South American heavyweights Colombia. Considering Uzbekistan are one of the lower-ranked teams, the spotlight will be on Leao and the other attacking stars to jumpstart Portugal's career.

As well as his country's hopes of winning the competition for the first time in their history, his next career move may well depend on how he fares this tournament with a number of clubs linked to him and an exit from AC Milan looking a formality.

Carrick won't judge players solely off one performance, but he certainly wouldn't have been impressed had he been watching Leao.

Click here to read article