One of the biggest things holding Manchester United back last season was their leaky defence, with the team conceding a total of 57 goals over the course of the Premier League season.
And that led new coach Erik ten Hag to prioritize improving defense as soon as he was appointed. The Dutchman did exactly that, bringing in Lisandro MartÃnez from former club Ajax.
And the Argentine has been a huge success so far, endearing himself to the Old Trafford faithful with his no-nonsense defending and displays of action.
United on the hunt for a CB
But with Raphael Varane’s continuing injury struggles, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding the future of club captain Harry Maguire, it makes sense to add another defender.
The latest name associated with the Red Devils is Inter Milan centre-back Stefan de Vrij. According to Calcio Mercato Web, the future of three defenders could be at stake in January.
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– Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) November 29, 2022
The situation of the three, Milan Skriniar, Alessandro Bastoni and De Vrij, is “very delicate” at the moment.
The way things are, the Nerazzurri want to keep the Slovak and are trying to get him to agree to a new contract.
The Italian’s contract runs out in 2024, but with no resolution in sight, Premier League clubs are making the rounds, including Antoni Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur.
De Vrij could be a short-term solution
But for De Vrij, he will most likely leave in the summer, but the January window could provide the best opportunity for Inter to recoup a fee from his sale.
“Manchester United led by Erik Ten Hag, a manager with great knowledge of Dutch football, could dive into the De Vrij opportunity for January,” the report added.
The giants of Serie A would ask for around 10 million euros, a figure that is not very high, but neither is it low considering the duration of the contract of the Dutch international.
It remains to be seen if United will wait until the summer to grab it for free or pay in January. However, considering the defender’s age (30), this seems to be a short-term solution at best.
