Harry Maguire’s potential move to West Ham offers him the chance to revive a stagnant career and cement his place in England ahead of Euro 2024.
Instead of warming up the bench for another season at Manchester United, Maguire should be given the chance to play regularly and build a reputation that has been battered in recent times.
Maguire’s application cannot be faulted and his leadership skills on and off the field led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointing him as United captain just six months after his £80 million arrival.
But Maguire’s shortcomings have been relentlessly exposed in recent seasons and it led to Erik ten Hag dropping him at the start of 2022-23.
With Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez forging a solid partnership, Maguire was highly unlikely to regain his starting spot next season, so the move makes sense.
Harry Maguire’s time at Manchester United appears to be over as he prepares for his move to West Ham
The England international was not in the mood for trouble at United, but paid the price for a number of high-profile mistakes
United manager Erik ten Hag will want to sign one more defender before the window closes
United will get back £30 million of their spending on Maguire, but his anticipated departure means they urgently need to find extra cover at the back.
They only have Varane, Martinez and Victor Lindelof among their senior pros in centre-back, even though left-back Luke Shaw came in effectively at times last season.
United have shortlisted potential recruits and hope to finalize a deal for one of them in the closing weeks of the transfer window, or risk falling short at the back if injuries or suspensions strike.
Here we assess the candidates and how they might fit at United.
Jean Clair Todibo
23 years old, Nice
It is clear that Ten Hag have taken United in a direction that encourages build-up from the back and playing around the high press.
With Andre Onana, a goalkeeper more than comfortable with the ball at his feet, replacing David de Gea, and Maguire leaving, there now seems to be a clearer identity about United.
Todibo has the potential to fit neatly into that plan. The 23-year-old former Barcelona centre-back, who has been a regular at Ligue 1 club Nice for the past two seasons, has qualities that would appeal to Ten Hag.
He boasted 88.5 percent passing accuracy last season, seems comfortable taking on opponents in tight situations and enjoys a long diagonal pass to wide forwards.
At six feet tall, Todibo has an airborne presence and his tackling stats are decent too.
First called up to the France national side in March, Todibo has yet to make a senior international debut, but it could be a matter of time.
Funnily enough, Todibo said in an interview surrounding that call that Varane was one of his biggest inspirations in football. They could soon be side by side at Old Trafford.
Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has growth potential
Edmond Tapsoba
24, Bayer Leverkusen and Burkina Faso
Tapsoba also seems to be a suitable candidate for Ten Hag’s master plan. His long legs are effective for carving out crosses and getting into tackles, as well as carrying the ball forward.
He was linked with a move to Tottenham earlier this summer, having made more than 100 appearances for Leverkusen since joining from Portugal’s Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2020.
A Burkina Faso international since the age of 17, Tapsoba was named in the team of the tournament at the last Africa Cup of Nations after his country finished fourth.
Tapsoba has drawn comparisons to former Germany international Jerome Boateng for his pace and power, with some of the powerhouses making retrieving the ball in games seem effortless.
The player himself says he was inspired by John Stones, Virgil van Dijk and Per Mertesacker, and an added bonus is that he’s not too shabby offensively either, especially on set pieces.
Like Todibo, he is young enough to further develop his game and reach his maximum potential under Ten Hag’s tutelage.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba is another name in the frame for United
Benjamin Pavard
27, Bayern Munich and France
United have probed the £30 million-valued Pavard and given that Bayern may need to raise money to buy Harry Kane, it could be a quick deal.
Pavard, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, has only one year left on his contract there and has little intention of signing a new one.
With Kim Min-jae joining from Napoli for £50 million, Pavard knows his chances of starting games for Bayern are dwindling.
From Ten Hag’s perspective, he has the added advantage of also being an experienced right-back and would be in competition with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is unable to convince.
Pavard, 27, has more experience than most other options and could step into the United dressing room as a proven winner in the leading group.
It would be a deal that makes sense on a number of levels.
French star Benjamin Pavard can play in two positions and brings a wealth of experience
Marc Guehi
23, Crystal Palace and England
Guehi has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable young defenders in his two seasons at Crystal Palace.
Ironically, this has led to reports that to compensate injured Wesley Fofana, Chelsea may have to pay £60 million to re-sign their former player.
Now Guehi, who hopes to challenge Maguire for an England starting spot ahead of the European Championship, is being mentioned in the same breath as Manchester United.
He would bring Premier League football experience and, again, he has plenty of room for development in the years to come.
The downside is its price tag. Palace would be a hard bargain and Guehi would be everyone’s expensive option here.
With United’s budget already stretched to its limits by the signings of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Mason Mount, it’s doubtful they’ll have £60m left to cough up, regardless of how many players they manage to sell.
Marc Guehi has impressed during the two seasons he has spent at Crystal Palace
Johnny Evans
35, Manchester United on a month’s contract
Another option is to extend the short-term contract veteran defender Evans was given at the start of the pre-season following his release from Leicester.
The 35-year-old was called back to familiar surroundings as cover for United’s friendly schedule and really didn’t do much wrong.
Evans, who made 198 appearances for United early in his career after coming through the academy, could be kept on as a backup at no cost, although no one expects him to be a direct replacement for Maguire unless all else fails.
United raised a few eyebrows by bringing back veteran Jonny Evans for their pre-season tour
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