Over the last few weeks, Manchester United have been linked with plenty of players as they look to bolster the squad ahead of next season.
However, it’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Joshua Zirkzee that look to be the two most concrete targets, with the latter being the most attainable of the two.
Yet, it seems that the centre-back spot will be the main priority, especially due to the exit of Raphael Varane and the number of injuries suffered in that spot.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a defensive target for the Red Devils, who has the potential to be an even better signing than Zirkzee.
Man Utd will look to sign a centre back
According to reports from Spain, via The Faithful MUFC, Man United are interested in signing Ronald Araujo.
It’s said that the Red Devils have intensified their efforts to sign the Uruguayan rock, and they’re ready to go ‘all out.’
The reason for this is due to Araujo and Barcelona not currently being on the same page regarding a contract renewal, which could provide an opportunity for United.
It’s mentioned that a £64m fee will be enough to secure Araujo’s signature if he does decide to depart, and Man Utd will increase his wage dramatically.
Why Araujo would be a better signing than Zirkzee
It’s a known fact that over the last couple of seasons, Araujo has played a huge role in the success of Barcelona.
The versatile defender was once again a consistent performer last season, even though he missed eight games through injury.
In La Liga, the 25-year-old started just 21 matches, but during those games he proved he was elite, also netting once and picking up two assists.
Araujo was also handed the captain’s armband at stages, which just shows how highly rated he is as not just a player but also a character.
|
Araujo vs Varane 23/24 League Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per game) |
Araujo |
Varane |
|
Touches |
73.8 |
43.5 |
|
Passes completed |
56.9 |
31.4 |
|
Pass accuracy |
90% |
89% |
|
Dribbled past |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
Duels won (%) |
4.2 (65%) |
2 (68%) |
|
Balls recovered |
4.1 |
3 |
|
Via Sofascore |
||
Nonetheless, as you can see from the stats above, Araujo is the definition of a complete centre-back that’d improve the United backline significantly.
Regardless of whether he’s under pressure or against a low block, the Uruguay international is fantastic on the ball, showing great composure, vision, and progression, as shown by his passing stats and touches.
On the other hand, he’s an absolute monster of an athlete, having extreme speed and physicality, which makes him incredibly difficult to play against.
This athleticism and reading of the game is why he’s such a “Rolls-Royce” of a defender, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, with his duel win rate and dribbled past proving that.
Furthermore, Araujo has also displayed that he’s a versatile asset by playing at right back, which would give Erik Ten Hag much more tactical flexibility and the team more depth in multiple positions.
Now the question that still remains is: why would Araujo be better than Zirkzee? Well, the answer is rather simple.
To begin with, the centre-back spot at Man United is arguably the weakest in the squad, not necessarily because it lacks quality but because of the lack of reliability, as highlighted by veteran hero Jonny Evans making 23 Premier League appearances last season.
Therefore, a player of Araujo’s quality would simply walk into the starting eleven, whereas Zirkzee would have to compete with Rasmus Hojlund for the lone striker spot in Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1.
In an ideal world, both players would join the club and bolster the squad, but the Barca man truly has the potential to have more of an influence at Old Trafford.
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