Highlights
- Man Utd’s season has been a strange one, but they remain competitive in the Premier League thanks to recent victories over Everton and Chelsea.
- The January transfer window could be an opportunity for Man Utd to strengthen their squad, particularly by improving their defence.
- Marc Guehi is a highly valued player whose stats show he could potentially be a standout centre-back for Man Utd.
Manchester United have endured a strange season so far. Erik ten Hag and Harry Maguire have just won Manager of the Month and Player of the Month in England’s top tier.
But this comes amid a disastrous Champions League campaign, though they sit within touching distance of the champions and the top four heading into this weekend’s matches despite a number of shock defeats.
That is thanks in part to defeating Chelsea in midweek, suggesting there is little need to panic just yet for the Red Devils in terms of their results.
When the January transfer window swings open, Ten Hag has the chance to improve his squad and rid of any deadwood, which could result in the arrival of a potential gamechanger in his backline.
Man Utd transfer news
Those at Old Trafford haven’t got it right on too many occasions in the transfer market in recent years, with Jadon Sancho epitomising that. The winger arrived with all the potential in the world after rising to stardom at Borussia Dortmund, only to now find himself frozen out at United. Sancho’s falling-out with Ten Hag stole the headlines earlier in the season and the situation remains unresolved. United’s focus doesn’t seem to be on Sancho, however, with reports suggesting that they’re eyeing a move for a Premier League defender.
According to Football Insider, Manchester United have made contact with Crystal Palace to register their interest in signing Marc Guehi. The Eagles have reportedly set a price tag of £60m for their central defender in January, but United are currently only willing to offer £45m in the forthcoming window.
The Red Devils aren’t alone in their interest either, with Tottenham Hotspur also reportedly eyeing a move to sign the England international. When January arrives, Palace may find themselves in a battle to keep their star defender, given the calibre of interest in Guehi.
“Amazing” Guehi could be Man Utd’s best centre-back
It’s no real shock that Palace have set their valuation so high for Guehi, who has enjoyed a fantastic rise since making the move from Chelsea to Selhurst Park in 2021. Guehi’s stats show exactly why United are interested and indicate that he could instantly take the responsibility as the best centre-back at Old Trafford ahead of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez.
Player | Progressive Carries | Progressive Passes | Tackles Won | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Marc Guehi | 10 | 37 | 11 | 13 |
Harry Maguire | 8 | 34 | 4 | 9 |
Raphael Varane | 6 | 26 | 4 | 1 |
Victor Lindelof | 13 | 27 | 6 | 8 |
Lisandro Martinez | 6 | 26 | 6 | 2 |
Those numbers have earned Guehi an England call-up and deserved praise from the likes of Maguire, who could be his future teammate. Maguire said via BBC Sport: “Marc has done amazing. I think he left Chelsea at an amazing time when he had to play football. When you watch him play, he doesn’t look like a young boy playing football. He’s a captain of Crystal Palace. He’s going to have a long career in the game. He has all the attributes you need to be a centre-back.
“He’s such a young boy playing with so much maturity.”
