Manchester United are reportedly considering a move for Borussia Dortmund defender Thomas Meunier in the final weeks of the transfer window.
United have already made two defensive signings this summer, with Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez arriving from Feyenoord and Ajax respectively. Now, Meunier is the latest defender linked with the club, with United reportedly interested in the 30-year-old if they manage to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
According to The Telegraph, Meunier would could around €15m if United were to make a move, with Diogo Dalot currently the only right-back in Ten Hag 's plans. The Belgian international joined Dortmund from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, with his contract set to expire in 2024.
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So, if United were to sign Meunier this summer, how could he perform? Could he become a regular in the starting XI, and will he push Dalot to improve with more competition in the side?
We 'signed' Thomas Meunier for Manchester United
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for the Dortmund defender to join United, using FM22 to run the simulation. We also updated United's squad with the latest transfers and the Premier League with the latest results.
Meunier played second fiddle to Dalot for the majority of the campaign, with the Belgian failing to make a major impact in his first season at the club. In total, Meunier made 24 appearances, with 18 of those starts.
The defender grabbed two assists in that time whilst averaging a rating of 6.95 per game. The 30-year-old struggled to find regular first-team action under Ten Hag, rotating with Dalot who made 10 more appearances than Meunier.
Compared to the rest of United's defenders, Meunier and Dalot had the lowest ratings in the squad, both averaging less than 7.0 per game. Raphael Varane and Martinez had the best seasons for United, whilst Luke Shaw impressed.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best United XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what United's best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full United best XI (4-3-3): De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; McTominay, Fernandes, Eriksen; Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford.
Meunier failed to make the Man United best XI, with Dalot remaining ahead of him in the squad. In a 4-3-3 formation, Scott McTominay joined Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen in midfield, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo started ahead of Anthony Martial at striker.
Man United's results with Meunier
United ended the Premier League campaign in sixth place, grabbing 62 points over the course of the season. After winning only four more points than the previous campaign, Ten Hag's side finished below Newcastle, finishing in fifth, and Arsenal in fourth.
The Gunners were eight points ahead of United and another issue for Ten Hag's side was their goal difference. Of the top six, United scored the least and conceded the most, ending the season with a goal difference of just +1.
They conceded five goals more and scored seven goals fewer than Newcastle in a poor league campaign. Despite this, United had a very successful season in the cup competitions, winning a trophy in the simulation.
Goals from Jadon Sancho and Ronaldo either side of Mason Mount's equaliser saw United beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final. Ten Hag's side also reached the FA Cup final where they were defeated 2-1 by Man City, and they reached the round of 16 in the Europa League where they were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund, losing 4-1 on aggregate.
Overall, FM22 suggests that Meunier may not be a necessary signing for Man United this summer, with the full-back failing to improve United defensively. The Belgian international struggled to adapt to the Premier League and with the defender already in his 30s, there may be younger and better options available.
Would you like to see Man United sign Thomas Meunier ? Let us know in the comments!
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