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Manchester United could do with some defensive solidity in the second-half of the campaign considering what has gone in the first half.
All four of manager Erik ten Hag’s first-choice centre-backs suffered long-term injuries of varying lengths which forced the manager to start Willy Kambwala alongside veteran Jonny Evans for the Premier League game against West Ham.
Raphael Varane remains injury prone and does not seem to have a future at the club with INEOS open to letting him leave in the summer on a free.
Despite a renaissance in form, Harry Maguire’s future is far from secure and he was recently spotted back in training but he is not the best fit in Ten Hag’s system.
United’s CB woes
Victor Lindelof remains sidelined while Lisandro Martinez only just returned to action and the manager must utilise him sparingly to avoid any further setbacks.
Funds remain tight in January and a striker is more important considering the lack of goals but the manager could certainly do with some added steel.
His former Ajax protege Matthijs de Ligt is not too happy with his situation in Bayern Munich and has been linked with a move away next summer.
Ten Hag himself is very interested in bringing him to Old Trafford but the manager’s position is not too secure and hence, there is no point in Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking that far ahead.
For now, the British billionaire is desperate to ensure his first full campaign includes playing in the Champions League and loan additions are being looked at.
The 24-year-old has fallen behind Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano, and the arrival of Eric Dier on loan could see his minutes decrease even further.
De Ligt loan approach
The Netherlands international has started only five times in the Bundesliga so far and The Athletic have stated that United have made a loan approach for the former Juventus star.
“On the pitch, there is no sense INEOS is writing off this season. Ratcliffe and his team want United to qualify for the Champions League because of prestige but also to help significantly with financial fair play calculations.
“The tightness of the numbers is why there is so little movement around signings, despite loan approaches for Matthijs De Ligt and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting being mentioned.”
Whether De Ligt chooses to jump ship in the middle of the campaign remains to be seen but it is refreshing to learn that the new regime are desperate to ensure the club have the best possible chance at finishing in the top four.
