Man Utd urged to snatch £50m star from Prem rival who would instantly be ‘the best centre-back at the club’
Man Utd have been urged to sign Palace defender Marc Guehi
Manchester United have been urged to consider signing a top defender from a Premier League rival who would automatically become the ‘best centre-back at the club’.
Erik ten Hag has been hit by an injury crisis to his defensive ranks in the early stages of the new campaign, with the likes of Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Sergio Reguilon and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all spending time on the sidelines.
And with Ten Hag being forced into using former skipper Harry Maguire and playing the likes of Sofyan Amrabat and Victor Lindelof at full-back, the Red Devils boss is looking to bolster his back line in the January transfer window.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano claims that United have drawn up a shortlist of targets which includes Jean-Clair Todibo, Antonio Silva, Edmond Tapsoba and Goncalo Inacio.
However, former United defender Paul Parker has urged his old club to look closer to home and move for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi instead.
Since leaving Chelsea for Palace in 2021, Guehi has proven to be one of the most capable defenders in the Premier League, attracting the interest of the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea as a result.
The trio of London clubs all enquired about the 23-year-old’s availability over the summer but were quickly taken aback by Palace’s £50million asking price.
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Guehi a perfect fit for United
However, Parker feels United need to splash out and get a player on board who would straight away become the top centre-back at Old Trafford.
“From Manchester United’s perspective, I think I would look at his (Joachim Anderson’s) centre-half partner, Marc Guehi,” he told SpilXperten. “He is a fantastic centre half and I would take Guehi over Andersen, also because of his age.
“Guehi is only 23 years old and he is an England international. If Manchester United was to sign Guehi, he would be the best centre-half at the club, without a shadow of a doubt.
“I think Martinez is excellent but Guehi is more elegant with the ball with his feet. I think they could be a great centre-half pair. Guehi is so clever and he would be an amazing addition to the squad, and I would definitely give Man United the advice to go for some shopping at Crystal Palace.”
Pairing Guehi with Martinez is wishful thinking at this stage, given that the Argentine is expected to be sidelined for some time after a recurrence of the ankle problem that kept him out for the second half of last season.
That leaves United having to use a mix of Varane, who should be back after the international break, Maguire and Jonny Evans centrally, especially if Lindelof is still required to play at left-back.
But, at least with the Swede playing there, it allows Amrabat to play in his preferred central midfield role going forward.
Ten Hag’s men are back in action on October 21 when they head to Sheffield United in the Premier League.
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