Ruben Amorim is struggling at Man Utd. (Image: Getty)
Manchester United will likely pursue their latest centre-back signing this summer ahead of Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans’ contract expiries. The ageing pair’s expected departures would leave with , Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven as centre-back options for the start of next season.
Lisandro Martinez could miss the rest of the calendar year after successfully undergoing surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered earlier this month.
Noussair Mazraoui can cover in Amorim’s back three, while Luke Shaw would also fit the bill should he overcome his relentless injury woes and enter contention.
However, the Portuguese tactician is primed to target the position as part of an aggressive first summer transfer window to accelerate his mammoth rebuild at Old Trafford.
That said, United could face further budget limitations amid the pressure of complying with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
And without player sales, Amorim may need to turn to the free agent market to address some areas of his underperforming squad.
Ex-Germany international Markus Babbel has recommended Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah as an attractive option.
But he isn’t convinced players in and around their peak years will view United as an appealing destination this summer and expects Amorim to target younger, less proven signings.
Jonathan Tah is a free agent this summer. (Image: Getty)
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“Jonathan Tah is a great player at Bayer Leverkusen, and his contract is up at the end of the season,” Babbel told Express Sport on behalf of Wette.de.
“He’d be a good fit for Man United’s back three – but the problem is I don’t think he’ll want to go to Man United!
“The issue is that the top players will not go to Man United. In my opinion, you have to bring in young players who are hugely talented because the older players in their prime will not want to join!
“You have to give time to bring in his players and work with the squad he has. Ferguson needed five years to win a trophy, so the club have to invest their time into .”
Amorim has lost eight of his first 14 Premier League matches in charge of United, sparking an intense debate over whether his 3-4-3 system will work in English football even when he recruits more-suited players.
Babbel isn’t confident the 40-year-old’s philosophy will garner the same success it did in Portugal due to how the game is primarily played in the modern day.
He added: “To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of defences with three centre-backs.
“Most teams play with one striker, so it doesn’t make sense to put three defenders on one attacker. In the past, it was different because more teams played with two strikers.
“It also means you lose a man in the midfield or up front, so it doesn’t make sense to have so many players in the back line. I’m not sure whether a back three is the right style for Man United.”