Manchester United bolstered their squad with multiple signings during the summer transfer window, but they failed to pursue a top quality centre-back.
The Red Devils were hoping to offload Harry Maguire to invest on another central defender, but the Englishman’s refusal to leave scuppered their plans.
The club are now likely to wait until next summer to reinforce the department, considering their tight Financial Fair Play situation at the current point in time.
Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo and Benfica’s Antonio Silva are being monitored by United and in our opinion, the latter would be a better acquisition for the club.
Why United should sign Silva over Todibo
Todibo was on United’s radar during the closing stages of the summer transfer window, but United did not make a formal approach for him before the deadline.
The lack of funds was a prime reason, and they could return for him in future. The Frenchman, who will turn 24 before the end of the year, has all the attributes to suit manager Erik ten Hag.
He is a strong ball-playing centre-back. This season, he has completed 91 per cent of his passes in Ligue 1 with an impressive two tackles and three clearances per game.
The former Barcelona defender has made eight recoveries per outing and has won 65 per cent of his duels. He could be prised away for a fee of around €40 million.
While Todibo’s statistics are impressive, young Antonio Silva has fared much better with Benfica this term. The 19-year-old has a pass completion rate of 94 per cent in the Primeira Liga.
The teenager has won a stunning four tackles per game alongside four clearances while also winning 72 per cent of his duels. He has lost possession on only 4.5 occasions compared to Todibo’s 7.8.
Silva is only a year into his senior playing career, but the youngster has shown that he has the traits to become a world-class centre-back in future with the right coaching.
We believe United should push for his signature despite the high €100 million release clause in his contract. It won’t be easy to sign him with Real Madrid also in the mix.
Silva could start off as an understudy at United before becoming a starter which may not be possible with Todibo, who has hinted that he may not leave Nice without assured game time.
Stats from Sofascore.com
