da pinnacle： Erik ten Hag's centre-back ranks at Manchester United have been anything but settled this season. A big part of the problem is that Lisandro Martinez, the 2022 Fans' Footballer of the Year at Old Trafford, has been sidelined since mid-September because of a foot injury, only finally returning this weekend.
da bet nacional： Ten Hag has since had to mix and match to find his best partnership, while juggling more injuries too. Harry Maguire has started nine Premier League games, and won the competition's Player of the Month award in November, but he's currently missing with a groin problem. It's also worth remembering that his manager was prepared to sell him last summer as United agreed a £30m fee with West Ham, only for the player to turn down the move.
Elsewhere, Raphael Varane has been available for all but three games, but been left on the bench eight times when fit, Victor Lindelof has missed the last five through injury and 36-year-old free signing Jonny Evans has been called upon to start nine league matches. Before the turn of the year, Ten Hag had used ten different pairings at the heart of defence. It's no surprise that it appears to be an area of focus in the transfer market in 2024.
United among Premier League quartet eyeing Araujo
According to HITC Football, Manchester United have expressed an interest in Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, quietly making it clear through third-party intermediaries that they would be keen to sign him if he becomes available. Their Premier League rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle are all thought to have done the same.
Reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have been at the forefront of the race and have actively tried to land Araujo this month, but Barcelona have told the Bavarians and all of the Uruguayan's other suitors that he's not for sale either in this window or the summer. Instead, their focus is on tying him down to a new contract ahead of the expiry of his current deal in two and a half years.
Araujo's speed catches the eye
A big part of Araujo's appeal is his physicality. Football podcaster Raj Chohan has called him an "athletic monster" and dubbed his recovery pace a "cheat code", and that assessment is supported by the figures. Only Raphinha recorded a higher top speed among all Barcelona players in the Champions League group stages, and Araujo ranked inside the top ten defenders overall.
This running power no doubt helps the 24-year-old when he moves upfield. When compared to positional peers in Europe's big five leagues and continental competition over the past year, he ranks in the 87th percentile for progressive carries, and the 93rd for successful take-ons per 90 minutes.
He'd been a dream signing for United or any of Europe's top clubs, but unfortunately, this one looks likely to remain the realm of fantasy. Speaking this week, Araujo explicitly mentioned the Red Devils as he refuted any notion that he was looking to leave.
"Rumours of all kinds appear in all transfer windows," he said. "It’s a normal thing. Every transfer window we have stories about me, they also said about Man United last summer. The only thing I can say is that I am focused on the team and also on this club. I’m comfortable here and I always try to give everything for this shirt."