When we think about great defending we rightfully just think of a player’s ability to win balls in the air or to mark a man, but the best defenders in the world are able to offer so much more.
You want to have a defender who can bring the ball out of defence, but if they can also take the ball in a pressure situation and win a free-kick to help the team reset then that’s invaluable.
Man United have been heavily linked with Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, and this moment of quality vs Germany has to get the fans excited about his potential signing:
Pictures from ITV Sport
That moment shows why he would be such an upgrade for United – Victor Lindelof will either lose that ball or get outmuscled and leave the team in danger, while Eric Bailly would perhaps try it but you always run the risk of him doing something rash under pressure.
There is competition from PSG for Varane’s signature, but this shows why United need to do all they can to bring him in.