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Manchester United’s defence has been far from watertight this campaign, conceding 39 times already this season including letting in three goals in a single game 11 times.
They also conceded the second-most goals in the group stages of the Champions League en route to a shambolic last place finish in an easy group.
Manager Erik ten Hag will point to injuries with the Dutchman picking his 23rd different iteration of a back-four in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
Lisandro Martinez’s injury has cost the team big time while injuries to all centre-backs even forced the manager to start a game with Jonny Evans and academy star Willy Kambwala at the back. Predictably, the team lost.
Defensive woes
Having to constantly rotate defenders has not allowed the team to settle and according to Givemesport, the club did try to fix the issue by trying to bring in a centre-back.
Marc Guehi, reportedly someone the INEOS regime wants to bring in, had an offer from the Red Devils in January but the fee United were willing to pay fell short of Crystal Palace’s valuation.
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United were also interested but were told that a mid-season sale was not on the cards. Liverpool have also been recently linked with a move.
The Eagles reportedly value the England international at £60 million and believe a move after the European Championship could potentially see his price skyrocket if he gets to play.
January approach
“Palace were determined to hold onto Guehi during the early stages of 2024, which resulted in Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United being informed that a deal would not be possible midway through the season after they made their interest clear before the winter window officially opened.
“Manchester United also initiated contact with the Eagles to discuss a potential deal, with the Red Devils insisting that they were willing to table an offer worth £45 million, but that did not meet the capital club’s financial expectations and a switch to Old Trafford failed to come to fruition.
“Palace are set to make a final decision on whether to sell Guehi after his potential involvement at Euro 2024 as they are confident that his value would increase if he performs well in an England shirt during the tournament in Germany, according to GMS sources.”
The 23-year-old has helped keep six clean sheets in all competitions thus far while also making the joint-highest number of blocks by a Palace player in the league this season.
Guehi’s Palace career coming to an end?
The former Chelsea man had to undergo a knee operation on account of suffering an injury against Brighton & Hove Albion last month, which means he is expected to miss at least two months.
He is in a race against time to try and feature before the season ends and there is a chance he might have played for the team from Selhurst Park for the final time. They are already eyeing a replacement.
United are searching for a right-sided partner for Martinez and Guehi fits Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s policy of buying young players who are proven in England.
The futures of Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are all up in the air as the British billionaire seeks to undertake a summer clearout.
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