Talk about potential center-back acquisitions for this summer has largely died down due to the attention being placed on Manchester United’s quest for a new center-forward and their apparent interest in Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Erik ten Hag already has players like Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof at his disposal in that position, along with the adaptable Luke Shaw, but if former captain Harry Maguire leaves, the 30-year-old is likely to be needed as a fresh face.
The former Leicester City player, who has recently been linked with a transfer to West Ham United, was only recently relieved of the captaincy after falling down the pecking order during the previous campaign, with the England international starting only eight Premier League games.
It is still unclear who might replace Maguire in the backline, despite recent rumours suggesting that Ten Hag has taken an interest in Real Madrid’s David Alaba. Earlier in the transfer window, Ten Hag is said to have expressed a strong interest in new Bayern Munich player Kim Min-jae.
What are the most recent transfer speculations regarding Man United?
Recent Spanish sources claim that the former Ajax manager is “obsessed” with bringing the 31-year-old to Manchester United this summer, and that the two parties have already reached a “pre-agreement.”
The £372k-per-week star, who is worth about €30 million (£26 million) according to CIES Football Observatory, only moved to Madrid from Bayern in the summer of 2021, but he may be getting ready to swap the Bernabeu for Old Trafford before the start of the next campaign.
David Alaba’s skill level.
While the Austrian international spent most of his time playing left back for his former club Bayern, where he amassed 88 goals and assists in 431 games across all competitions, he has proven his mettle in a center-back position on numerous occasions, having done so in 29 appearances for Madrid last season.
The seasoned player might prove to be a dream upgrade over Maguire in that position, despite also being a “outstanding” option at full-back, according to former colleague Joshua Kimmich, who previously called him “one of the best in the world at center-back.”
Ten Hag has already stated his preference for a left-footer because they can provide “better angles” in possession, so Alaba’s potential to give the Dutchman a natural, left-footed alternative in the centre of defence is a noteworthy advantage.
According to FBref, the native of Vienna appears to be far more at ease while playing out from the back, as opposed to Maguire, who only has an 85.2% pass accuracy rate. Maguire has an average pass accuracy percentage of 87.4% per 90 over the last 365 days.
Alaba’s superior attacking threat is also demonstrated by the fact that, among players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the top 2% for assists and the top 5% for shot-creating actions, respectively, while the current United player only ranks in the bottom 72% and bottom 52% for those same two metrics.
The hope will be that the success of the Madrid star will rub off on those at the Theatre of Dreams, as Maguire’s only career trophy was last season’s Carabao Cup triumph. The Madrid star also offers the benefit of his prior winning experience, having won three Champions Leagues among many other accolades.
Alaba’s undeniable polish and quality should be sufficient to help send the Englishman packing if he is to join Ten Hag and company this summer, despite the fact that he isn’t necessarily a youthful replacement for Maguire.
