Manchester United went into the last international break off the back of a relatively high point in Ruben Amorim’s time in the dugout at Old Trafford so far.
The Red Devils progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad in the second leg, before they beat strugglers Leicester City 3-0 in the Premier League.
United are unbeaten in their last four matches and have only conceded two goals in that time, drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad and 1-1 with Arsenal.
The defence, which has conceded 40 goals in 29 Premier League games, has shown signs of improvement with just one goal conceded in their last two league outings.
Central defender Harry Maguire has missed the last four matches with a calf injury, which has coincided with the club’s improved defensive record.
This may bring up some doubts over the English centre-back’s long-term future at Old Trafford under Amorim, as he does not appear to be one of the manager’s best options at the back.
Why Man United need an upgrade on Harry Maguire
The experienced defender is still under contract until the summer of 2026 and it remains to be seen whether or not the Red Devils will be able to move on from him in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Amorim could, however, dip into the market to sign an upgrade on the former Leicester and Hull City man in order to send him further down the pecking order at Old Trafford ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
In Maguire’s last six starts for United, the team have conceded nine goals and won two matches – against Ipswich Town and Leicester in the relegation zone – in all competitions.
Compare that to the aforementioned form in the four matches since he picked up a calf injury and this suggests that Amorim’s side have been better off without him.
The 32-year-old colossus has had an up-and-down time at Old Trafford, with Gary Neville stating in 2022 that Maguire played better for England than United and that he had an “awful time” to date at that point.
Maguire has, however, made 234 appearances for the club in all competitions and won the League Cup and the FA Cup, which shows that it has not all been doom and gloom for him in Manchester.
United have only kept one clean sheet in his 20 appearances in the Premier League this season, though, and this suggests that Amorim should try to find an upgrade on the veteran stopper this summer, which the club appear to be trying to do.
Manchester United enquire about deal for Serie A star
According to Italian outlet Messaggero Veneto, Manchester United are one of a number of European teams interested in a deal to sign Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet in the upcoming summer transfer window to bolster their backline.
The report claims that West Ham, United, and several teams from Turkey are keen on signing the 25-year-old defender from the Serie A outfit, which suggests that there will be plenty of competition for his signature.
Messaggero Veneto adds that the Red Devils and the Hammers have already enquired about a move for the French ace, testing the ground ahead of a possible swoop, as they plot to sign the former RB Salzburg star.
The report also reveals that Udinese are set to put a price tag of at least €40m (£33m) on the central defender’s head, despite the fact that he only joined them on a free transfer in the January window earlier this year.
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It claims that Solet has signed a contract through to the summer of 2027 and suggests that this could tempt Udinese into cashing in on him this summer, as he is not on a long-term deal that gives them negotiating power.
Manchester United must, now, follow through on their initial enquiry with an offer that is enough to seal a deal for Solet, whether that is £33m or a cheaper fee, as he could come in as an upgrade on Maguire ahead of next season.
Why Oumar Solet would be an upgrade on Harry Maguire
The right-footed defender has starred for Udinese since his move to the Serie A at the start of the year and his statistics from his time in the Italian top-flight suggest that he could offer even more than the England international does.
Solet’s use of the ball could be particularly useful to Amorim’s team in possession when it comes to progressing the ball up the pitch, whether that is with passes or with carries and dribbles from a centre-back position.
As you can see in the chart above, the French titan excels with the ball at his feet, particularly in comparison to Maguire, who ranks fairly lowly in most progressive statistics.
Solet, who was once described as a “marauding centre-back” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality and forward-thinking mentality on the ball to consistently progress play out from the back, which could help United when they are building out from the back to break teams down and bypass opposition presses.
Appearances
20
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.0
2.7
Clearances per game
3.3
3.6
Duels won per game
4.0
5.0
Ground duel success rate
59%
66%
Error led to shot/goal
1
0
As you can see in the table above, there is not a great deal of difference between the two players when it comes to their out-and-out defending at the heart of the backline, as they win duels, make clearances, and make tackles and interceptions at a fairly similar rate.
This suggests that Solet could offer a similar level of defensive quality whilst improving what United do in possession with his progressive passes and carries to start attacks and find the team’s dangerous offensive players in better positions more frequently than Maguire currently does.
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Therefore, Amorim must push for the board to complete a deal for the Udinese star in the upcoming summer transfer window because he appears to have the required attributes to come in as an upgrade on Maguire in the centre-back position.