Premier League teams have made a real mess of signing centre backs in the last few seasons. The declining quality of defending and the rising transfer fees mean that huge amounts have been spent on average players, expecially across Manchester where players like Eliaquim Mangala, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones have struggled without any sustained success.
Man United haven’t spent quite the huge amounts of their neighbours, but Marcos Rojo has hardly been an unqualified success for them, and the fact that Phil Jones and Eric Bailly are constantly injured doesn’t help matters.
Despite the warnings coming from the City ground about spending big money on young defenders without any Premier League pedigree, Jose Mourinho is apparently going ahead with a £38m deal for Victor Lindelof of Benfica. The Sun claims Mourinho wants the Swedish defender in January to reinforce a surge of good form that has seen the Red Devils surge back into contention for fourth place.