Highlights
Manchester United have money ready for a new £34m signing.
They’d represent a huge upgrade on Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
It could have a Casemiro-esque transformation on the team.
Manchester United had many problems alarmingly raised during yesterday’s clash, marking yet another poor display to kickstart the new Premier League season…
Who are Manchester United signing?
Erik ten Hag’s men looked disjointed and without purpose, both struggling to piece together attacks whilst often getting incredibly fortunate by the profligacy of their opposition.
In the end, Tottenham Hotspur were good value for their 2-0, sending the Red Devils back up north to take a deep dive into their issues.
Whilst seemingly a smaller one, it also showcased another of their outlying fragilities: the right-back position. Once again Aaron Wan-Bissaka failed to impress from defence, struggling to contribute to the attack despite the evolution of the modern-day full-back.
Due to this, and the free-flowing football that his Dutch boss seeks to play, perhaps it gives credence to the recent claims made by Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who suggest that the Old Trafford outfit have €40m (£34m) ready for a potential bid and a huge financial package to tempt Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard to join them over Inter Milan.
How good is Benjamin Pavard?
Although the English ace did assist their winner in that opening-day win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, the impact it had on his performance almost mirrored the impact it had on the rest of his team: papering over the cracks.
They were admittedly lucky to win that game, bailed out by a moment of quality as Bruno Fernandes unlocked the staunch backline of their opposition before Raphael Varane headed home.
Then, against Spurs, his 6.6 rating was well-earned, losing three out of the four duels competed in, failing to even attempt a cross and even being dribbled past once too, via Sofascore.
Paul Scholes’ statement from 2021 seemingly still rings true: “Wan-Bissaka is useless on the ball – brilliant defender but useless on the ball at right-back.”
It hampers the rest of the team when there is such a glaring weakness, and for all of the quality that Ten Hag has signed, leaving this position bare continues to hold back their progression.
As such, Pavard could enter at an opportune moment, almost mirroring the acquisition of Casemiro from a year earlier, who was only signed after they had endured another tough start to that campaign and had their defensive midfield problems publicised.
The French defender boasts a versatility that makes him useful in the modern footballing climate, able to invert into midfield, drop into centre-back or remain in his natural right-back.
Last season in the Bundesliga saw him record a 7.36 average rating, buoyed by his five goal contributions, 90% pass accuracy and 2.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore. His rating actually made him the second-best performer of anyone within the Bavarian outfit as they won the title again.
It seems he has fulfilled the prediction made by former Bayern president Uli Hoeneß, who claimed in 2019: “He has already shown after a few weeks that he will be one of the best transfers that we’ve ever made. For me, what a player costs isn’t what matters. It was clear to me that he could be an outstanding signing – particularly because of his great character.”
Whilst Wan-Bissaka is also characteristically economical with the ball, having maintained an 84% pass accuracy of his own throughout the last full Premier League term, he is not nearly as progressive as the 27-year-old World Cup winner.
When compared to other right-backs across Europe, Pavard actually ranks in the top 6% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 2% for pass completion per 90, the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 8% for interceptions per 90, via FBref.
Meanwhile, his potential predecessor instead ranks in the bottom 21% for non-penalty goals per 90, and the bottom 39% for progressive passes per 90, via FBref.
For the football Ten Hag seeks to employ, he must surely act fast to acquire such a huge upgrade for what would be a cut price.
