Manchester United are in the market for a number of defensive signings. They have been linked with a number of centre-backs since the end of the season which will hopefully solve their issues both in and out of possession at the back.
Jurrien Timber is wanted at Old Trafford due to his Ajax links with Erik ten Hag and many fans have theorised that he could play as a right-back, who acts as the right centre-back in a three during phases where United have possession. But the club's other defensive targets all fit a similar profile.
The Manchester Evening News understands that Pau Torres from Villarreal and David Carmo from Braga have both been scouted by United, while Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the club have entered the race to sign Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan alongside Tottenham Hotspur and the Telegraph has reported that Josko Gvardiol is also of interest.
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All of these defenders play on the left-hand side of the defence. They are also left-footed and offer a lot in possession having dealt with a high volume of passes across their careers already, this means that they should be comfortable building from the back as Ten Hag would demand.
At Ajax, while Timber occupied the right centre-back spot, either Daley Blind or Lisandro Martinez played on the left and they both fit the profile described here. United currently have Harry Maguire in the left centre-back position and while he has the line-breaking passing ability, he is right-footed and this narrows his passing angles.
Whether this would mean that Maguire would be dropped from the starting XI if these signings happened or he would just be moved to the right-hand side and rotated with Raphael Varane is not yet known, and that will likely depend on the quality of player that United are able to recruit. But it shows that United have a clear idea of the target they want in mind.
However, it still may not be that easy; Torres, Bastoni and Gvardiol are all wanted by clubs in the Champions League and also who are in more developed stages of their own projects. Ten Hag may want these players but if it was that easy, United would be able to buy any player they could afford.
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