Manchester United to sign £45.5 million Harry Maguire partner

A defensive acquisition seems likely for Manchester United.

Finished from the sixth spot in the Premier League, Manchester United had conceded 54 goals in that 2018-19 season. To make the picture clearer, let us go back to the end of the 2017-18 season when United finished the league from the second spot behind Manchester City with 81 points.

Do you know how many goals they had conceded in that campaign? The answer might surprise you, yet it was the tally of 28 goals — only Manchester City had the better defensive record (Man City had conceded 27 goals from 38 games) by the end of the domestic season.

Now you might be thinking why you have been shown these stats. Well, it was just a mere attempt to make you understand how inadequate a team’s defence could become over a year time should not the team management take care and refurbish the crucial area properly.

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In regard to defensive stature, Manchester United have had endured a sound season under the guidance of the Norweigan gaffer, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having conceded only 36 goals from 38 league matches and kept the third-bast defensive record in the league behind Liverpool (33) and Manchester City (35).

While talking about the improvements, there is no way to ignore the influential impact of Harry Maguire, a record £80 million buy from Leicester City last summer, on United’s defence.

Maguire has had been a pivotal presence in United’s back-line, having played every minute for the Red Devils in the Premier League 2019-20 season, becoming the second player to accomplish the feat for Manchester United alongside goalkeeper David de Gea, who also had 3420 minutes to his name.

However, it was not the end of the road as concerning factors were there in United’s defending during the last few weeks of the campaign. United defenders got bypassed by oppositions’ attackers very smoothly in the latter stages of the second half of the season.

And the fact that United didn’t have the suitable covers for their main partnership of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, with only an injury-prone prodigy in Eric Bailly filling a spot on the bench, has already alerted United faithful that not signing a defender could cost them heavily next season.

And Solskjaer knows that they need another a pair of legs for that particular position, with the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Axel Tuanzebe making no use of the opportunities presented to them at some point — whether it was before the January transfer window or in pre-season matches.

Hence, the gaffer was videoed saying “we need a left-footed centre-back, so keeping going” to AFC Bournemouth’s defender Nathan Ake after their Premier League game at Old Trafford earlier this month.

Media outlets have already started linking numerous names to a move to Old Trafford this summer, and we, also, have something similar to cover for you today. This is coming from England’s one of the oldest publications in The Times.

According to their report (subscription needed), Manchester United have made Villarreal defender Pau Torres one of their priorities for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Torres, 23, was a regular for the Yellow Submarine, having made 35 appearances across La Liga and Copa del Rey for Villarreal last season.

The 6ft 3in individual has got a decent grip on his left foot and is capable of playing the ball from the back — the method Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team has used massive over the last year to construct their build-up play.

With Torres’ contract at Villarreal set to expire on June 2024, Manchester United, just as any team interested in the defender, will have to trigger his £45.5million release clause should they want to secure the signing of the Spaniard.

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Do you think Pau Torres could provide Harry Maguire with the agility he needs in his partner?