Manchester United have managed to sign Andre Onana and Mason Mount this summer as Erik ten Hag appears to be going about his transfer business rather methodically.
Rasmus Hojlund could be the next arrival, as the Danish striker has completed a medical at the club ahead of his proposed move, and it appears as though the Dutchman is ready to sign a couple more players before the window shuts…
Are Manchester United signing Jean-Clair Todibo?
According to reports in Spain (via TEAMtalk), the Old Trafford side are moving closer to signing OGC Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo during the transfer window.
The move looks like it will cost United only €30m (£26m) and it appears they have also fended off competition from Barcelona for the signature of the Frenchman.
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With all areas of his squad needing to be bolstered, it finally appears as though Ten Hag has secured his first defensive signing of the summer.
Does Harry Maguire have a future at Manchester United?
The arrival of Todibo will surely mean Maguire’s time is finally up at United, especially with a handful of clubs showing interest in him.
Everton are looking to sign the Englishman this summer as Sean Dyche looks to improve his backline, whilst West Ham United were also eyeing up a move for the defender.
Last season was a torrid one for the former Leicester City centre-back, as he started just 16 games across all competitions, including only eight Premier League starts, and it’s clear Ten Hag favoured a defensive duo of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
Even during his outings, Maguire only ranked tenth across the squad for accurate passes per game in the league, while ranking 18th for tackles and eighth for interceptions per game, suggesting he failed to have a positive influence on the team.
Onana even criticised him after a mistake during a pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund, and it feels unlikely that he will still be at the club once the window shuts.
Todibo could also be a major upgrade on Maguire across a wide range of metrics which will only benefit Ten Hag during the upcoming season.
Not only did the Nice defender register a higher pass completion percentage than the United centre-back (88.1% to 85.1%) but he also had more aerial duel success (57.4% to 53.2%) and completed a higher percentage of successful take-ons (71.4% to 66.7%) during the 2022/23 domestic season.
Todibo also ranked in the top 12% for progressive passes per 90 (4.8) compared to positional peers and top 8% for tackles per 90 (2.38) across the previous 365 days, suggesting that he isn’t only competent at transitioning the ball well from defence to attack, he is also able to win it back often due to his tenacious ability.
In contrast, Maguire averaged just 3.09 progressive passes per 90 and 1.03 tackles per 90, failing to rank in the top 50% when compared to positional peers, proving that there is a major difference between the two defenders.
In January, talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed the Nice defender “could be a big bargain for some smart club in the summer” and it looks as though United have won that particular race and secured themselves a wonderful investment.
