With the transfer market in full flow, Manchester United are on a mission to build a squad that can compete at the highest level.
Although the club has signed plenty of attacking talent, including Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha, there hasn’t been much movement on the defensive end.
Aside from wing-back Diego Leon, there haven’t been any defensive signings as of yet, begging the question – do Man United have sufficient coverage at the back?
At closer inspection, it appears that they do, and there are three centre-backs that manager Ruben Amorim should rely on regularly this coming season.
Leny Yoro
At just 19 years of age, Yoro has integrated seamlessly into the club since his arrival last season, appearing truly comfortable in Amorim’s setup.
Regularly playing at LCB during the pre-season, Yoro has the physicality and technical ability to hold the defensive line. He also happens to have the pace that’s necessary to burst forward and assist his attacking teammates.
Winning 61% of his ground duels in the Premier League and 63% in the Europa League last season, Yoro also proved to be a strong tackler with precise marking ability. He averaged 1.5 tackles per game in the Europa League and 1.4 per game in the league. (Stats via Sofascore)
Prior to the friendly match with Fiorentina on Saturday, Yoro had not been dribbled past in 12 successive matches, proving indestructible at present.
Matthijs de Ligt
Despite being fairly injury-prone, De Ligt has proven to be an anchor at the back, providing reliability to United at crucial moments last season.
He proved vital in United’s run to the UEFA Europa League title, particularly in the round of 16 tie with Real Sociedad.
With his great height, the Dutchman has won 66% of his aerial battles in the Premier League, making him invaluable from corners and free-kicks, while he also produced 90% passing accuracy and 95% passing from within his own half, making minimal blunders that handed scoring chances to opponents.
Together with Yoro, De Ligt is an imposing defender who could provide some much-needed reliability so long as his injury troubles don’t persist.
Ayden Heaven
Much like Yoro, Heaven is a young rising star with plenty of room for growth.
Although he suffered an injury last season and is still fairly unproven, the youngster is full of energy and showed just how much he wants to play for United with a passionate performance against Fiorentina.
In fact, he posted 100% long pass accuracy while winning 100% of his duels, both aerial and on the ground.
While it may be necessary to rest him fairly regularly and perhaps use a more experienced option, such as Harry Maguire, in his stead, Heaven should be given enough time on the pitch to grow. What’s more, United’s calendar is not as intense this season, given the lack of European football, meaning that there is a lower risk of overexerting the promising centre-back.
It’s also important to remember that while Luke Shaw has featured prominently at the back this summer, he is a converted full-back who clearly doesn’t exhibit the same form as he did prior to his lengthy injury issues last season. What’s more, time is not on his side, with his youth well behind him.
While De Ligt is an aerial specialist, Heaven has proven effective on the ground by winning 63% of his ground duels in the league last season, thereby perfectly complementing the Dutch star.
Should Amorim select Yoro, De Ligt, and Heaven as his regular trio at the back, United could produce a defensive masterclass next season, with three tall, quick, physically strong, and ambitious defenders at their disposal, passionately playing for the badge each time they take to the pitch under the Old Trafford floodlights.
Featured image Patrick McDermott via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
