466 completed passes, 0 goals conceded – Manchester United target showing Erik ten Hag what he’s missing

One of Manchester United’s defensive targets is showing the club what they are missing after a brilliant start to the season in the Serie A.

Manchester United‘s start to the season is not going as many would have hoped. The team continues to be leaky from the back despite multiple defensive signings in the summer of 2024.

Erik ten Hag brought Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Leny Yoro as defensive reinforcements at Old Trafford. At the same time, Lisandro Martínez has returned to full fitness after being plagued with injuries last campaign.

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However, in their opening eight matches across all competitions, they have already conceded nine goals while scoring 13, although seven of these came in one tie against League One opposition Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.

The poor results have left Ten Hag exposed to criticism, with many calling for the Dutch manager to be sacked. However, reports suggest that he will keep his job for the upcoming away fixtures against FC Porto and Aston Villa in the coming days before the international break.

However, in contrast to United’s poor start to the season, Juventus have been on fire in the Serie A.

One of United’s defensive targets last summer, Gleison Bremer, has been a stalwart defender in their back line, being ranked as one of the league’s best players so far this campaign.

The 27-year-old Brazilian international has played all 540 minutes as a centre-back in Juventus’ fantastic defence and is set to concede a goal.

Beyond this, he also ranks first among centre-backs for tackles and is tied for fourth place overall among all Serie A players.

Ten Hag’s system relies heavily on good ball-playing centre-backs, with Lisandro Martínez key to the playing style. Bremer has also been proving his class in this area. Across the Serie A, Bremer ranks first for completed passes, with 466.

Bremer put pen to paper on a new contract with Juventus in the summer, signing on with the Turin side until 2029. Maybe, United should have tried harder to secure his services.

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