David Moyes desperately needs to firm up his defence this summer…
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With the news that Nemanja Vidic will be joining Inter Milan at the end of the season, CaughtOffside has run down and evaluated five potential replacements for the stalwart Serbian…
5) Mats Hummels – Borussia Dortmund (The Express)
Arguably the centre-back most United fans would want the club to sign, Hummels has excelled in the Bundesliga for Jurgen Klopp’s superb Dortmund team since moving from Bayern Munich in 2009.
At 25-years-old, he is yet to reach his defensive peak, and is rated as one of the best ball-playing defenders in world football. He would likely break the bank however, and there have been murmurings that the German wouldn’t be interested in moving to United if the club didn’t qualify for the Champions League.
4) Eliaquim Mangala – FC Porto (The Mirror)
United would love to pip their rivals City to the young French defender. Mangala is rangy, excellent in the air, and is rated as one of the most promising young centre-halves in Europe.
Porto regularly expect extortionate price-tags for their best players, so it remains to be seen whether David Moyes is willing to spend big cash on the 23-year-old.
3) Aymeric Laporte – Atletico Bilbao (talkSPORT)
Rated by some as the best young defender in world football, Bilbao’s teenage centre-back has been a fixture in the Basque club’s impressive La Liga season. The team sits fourth, and partly have the form of the 19-year-old to thank.
Laporte’s passing and his tackling are particular strengths, and he also provides a threat from set-pieces as his two goals this season prove.
Barcelona and Arsenal are also interested, so United will do extremely well to sign the French wonderkid.
2) Ezequiel Garay – Benfica (The Metro)
Garay is a typically South American defender. He’s feisty, and enjoys the fight and battle which will makes him suited to the Premier League. He’s also technically composed, and has the ability to carry the ball into midfield and start attacks from deep.
Aerially he isn’t fantastic though, but at 27-years-old, he’s just entering his best years defensive years.
Benfica are a selling club, and United will be able to get the Argentine if they target his signature aggressively enough.
1) Nicolas Otamendi – FC Porto (Goal)
Similar to Garay at Benfica, Otamendi has all the attributes expected of a South American centre-half. He enjoys stepping out of defence and playing a high line, but also is a physical specimen to be reckoned with. At the end of the season his deal with have only 12 months remaining, meaning he could be acquired fairly cheaply.
His style though could leave gaps in defence, as he loves to try and make interceptions, and close down opposing players immediately.
The Argentine can be deployed at right-back too, but only time will tell if he could adapt to facing world-class Premier League strikers.
