Manchester United's 2024 pre-season campaign kicked off on Monday afternoon. It wasn't a good start for Erik ten Hag's team, after losing 1-0 to Norwegian side Rosenborg.
It was a game in which United played several first-team players; Casemiro, Jonny Evans, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were the only prominent faces to feature throughout the game.
Despite the defeat, it was a great learning curve for many of the school's players, and a great opportunity to build up game fitness. The Red Devils will face Scottish giants Rangers next Saturday afternoon at Murrayfield, before they begin their pre-season trip to the United States.
On their trip, most of United's first-team players will meet with the squad, following an extended break due to the lack of time for major international competitions this summer. It will give Ten Hag an opportunity to help new signings, such as Joshua Zirkzee, settle into the team ahead of the big season.
Zirkzee will not be United's only signing in the summer window. They have been heavily linked with Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt as they look to bolster their defence. They have recently been linked with another Bundesliga defender who could add quality depth behind the Ten Hag.
Man Utd are targeting the Bundesliga defender
The players in question here are Bayer Leverkusen and German central defender Jonathan Tah. The 28-year-old has had an impressive season at the heart of Leverkusen's defense as they went unbeaten under Xabi Alonso, and has been linked with the club ever since.
Sky Sports' highly regarded journalist, Florian Plettenberg has been “told” that the Red Devils have “inquired” about the possibility of signing the German during the summer transfer window.
However, United will not be the only club vying for Tah's signature this summer. Bayern are also interested in the player, and could make a direct move for De Ligt, should the Dutchman move to Old Trafford in the summer. However, as Plettenberg explained, United are aware that an agreement has yet to be reached between the two German clubs, which could pave the way for Tah's departure.
The defender's price has not been confirmed by Plettenberg. However, according to Football Transfers, the German defender is worth £27m, which means this could be Tah's football figure this summer, especially as his contract expires in less than 12 months.
Why Tah would be a good signing
The 28-year-old was a key member of Leverkusen's unbeaten campaign, where they won two trophies and lost one game; in the final of the Europe League against Atalanta. He played 48 games in all competitions, missed just five games, and scored an incredible six goals.
He is obviously rated highly by his manager, Alonso. The Spaniard explained that “every team needs a player like Jonathan Tah”, revealing how important he has been to his side's success in the 2024/25 campaign.
If the Red Devils were to bring in Tah, they would be a much smarter alternative to the Dutchman, and the Bundesliga website actually says they play the same way.
This is supported by figures from FBref that suggest it. First, their defensive stats are very similar. The 28-year-old German averages more possessions per 90 minutes, at 5.51, and a better air duel win rate, at 73.8%. In comparison, the 24-year-old averages 4.74 balls and an air duel win rate of 59.4%.
However, De Ligt's box-guarding has really stood out in his game, and this is reflected in the stats as well. The Bayern man averaged 2.21 tackles and tackles combined compared to 1.44 from Tah, and 3.38 clearances, just slightly more than Tah's 3.32 per game.
|
Tah's defensive stats vs. De Ligt (2023/24) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Number (90th percentile) |
Tah |
De Ligt |
|
Fighting and preventing |
1.44 |
2.21 |
|
Blocks |
0.96 |
0.91 |
|
Erasure |
3.32 |
3.38 |
|
Aerial duels won |
2.66 |
2.12 |
|
Aerial duel win % |
73.8% |
59.4% |
|
The discovery of the ball |
5.51 |
4.47 |
|
Statistics from Fbref |
||
Although the German has quality on the ball, he is not statistically as good as the former Ajax captain. The Leverkusen centre-back made 4.55 continuous passes and 5.63 passes to the final third per 90 minutes, In contrast, De Ligt averaged 6.36 passes per game, and 7.08 passes to the final third, finishing just.
A pass is considered continuous if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters near the opponent's goal or any completed pass to the penalty area.
There is no doubt that Tah is an excellent defender, which shows that he has started every game at Euro 2024, apart from the round of 16 match against Denmark where he was suspended.
The 28-year-old may not have the same power on the ball as De Ligt, but he is at his best when in possession, is great in the air and is one of the fastest central defenders.
For context, Tah was clocked at 35.81km/h last season in the Bundesliga, making him Germany's second-fastest centre-back. On the other hand, De Ligt clocked 32.81kmph, much slower than Harry Kane. So, while they defend in the same way, there is that obvious point of difference.
At around £27m, it would be a good alternative to sign De Ligt, and add to United's impressive business so far this summer.
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