Manchester United have continued to struggle at the back. Over the last few years, the club have made several signings in hopes of strengthening their central defensive area. The record-breaking move of Harry Maguire and the addition of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid within the span of a couple of years just goes to show how the Red Devils are looking to improve in that area of the team.
But the expected results have not come on the pitch. Having conceded 34 goals in 26 Premier League matches, Manchester United have the leakiest defence in the top 8 right now alongside West Ham United.
Following the arrival of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager and the exit of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there has been some improvement as far as Manchester United’s defensive numbers are concerned, but it has come at the cost of them going forward.
The general feeling around Old Trafford is that the club are likely to bring in another centre-back in the summer. Rumours have linked the Red Devils with a few interesting names already. One of them is Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji.
Manchester United are interested in Borussia Dortmund defender
Manchester United are believed to be interested in the Borussia Dortmund star. As reported by SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Ralf Rangnick initially wanted to sign Niklas Sule from Bayern Munich. But now, he could turn to Akanji instead.
Akanji’s current contract with Borussia Dortmund runs out in the summer of 2023. The Bundesliga giants want to keep the Swiss defender and are interested in extending his deal.
But they have not been able to agree to a contract extension and as a result, could potentially be willing to let him leave for a €25 million transfer fee next summer. It will be interesting to see whether Manchester United end up making a move for the centre-back.