Juventus supply Manchester United with £21m solution, Erik ten Hag MUST take advantage

Juventus has supplied Manchester United with a £20 million centre-back solution that Erik ten Hag must make his bosses look into this summer.

Whilst his stint at Manchester United was not the most successful, José Mourinho continues to be recognised by United and rival fans alike.

Famed for his ability to set teams up in a compact structure, Mourinho‘s defensive nous is some of the best football has ever seen. Part of this is his ability to identify top-quality defenders.

Read More: Matthijs de Ligt confims transfer stance with player ‘open’ to joining Manchester United

Many of the all-time great centre-backs of the last generation have been personally co-signed by Mourinho. When at Manchester United, he highlighted the issues in that department and recommended a number of centre-backs, including Harry Maguire, one year before his £85 million transfer.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the latest up-and-coming centre-back to be personally coveted by the Portuguese coach is available at a remarkably low price. Juventus’ 19-year-old centre-back Dean Huijsen, who Mourinho signed on loan for Roma, is on the market for just above £21 million plus add-ons.

Standing at 195cm, the Spanish centre-back is an imposing presence but moves with real grace on the ball. He is a capable passer and carrier, and he went viral during his spell at Roma for a goal in which he drove from the defence past a number of players before scoring from range.

He is a truly ambipedal player, a valuable quality shared by now-departed Old Trafford hero Raphaël Varane. This allows him to operate comfortably as both a right—and left-sided centre-back. Jarrad Branthwaite is one of United’s top centre-back targets, and while left-footed, his comfort on his weaker right side is one quality United loves.

As a defender, Huijsen is confident in the air and on the ground. Whilst physical development is still needed—naturally, at 19 — he has an excellent frame, and the potential to develop this is great.

Branthwaite has been strongly linked, and United have officially bid for him while a deal for Matthijs de Ligt is being independently explored. With Varane’s departure confirmed and both Victor Lindelöf and Harry Maguire potentially available, it is clear that United want to revamp the centre-back department.

The signings of both De Ligt and Branthwaite seem unrealistic given a constrained budget and other needs, but one of those two, with Huijsen, presents a good market opportunity and many options on the pitch. United needs quality, and Huijsen is very much that.

For such a low fee, it feels like United can’t go wrong by signing the Spanish teenager along with one of De Ligt or Branthwaite. He is ready for minutes now, able to cover both sides of the defence, and long-term could well form the bedrock of a strong United defence.

So far, there have been no concrete links between United and Huijsen, but recruiting a talented young centre-back who can fit INEOS’ possession-based game model for such a cheap price would send a good message about the kind of business United’s new regime want to do, and what their vision is for Manchester United on the field.

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