Man Utd Centre-Back Options Ahead of 2020/21 Opener - Ranked

Manchester United have up to nine centre-backs in the first-team squad as the club prepares to begin the 2020/21 Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Teden Mengi is the latest addition to the picture, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that he has been added to the first-team squad ‘indefinitely’. Big things are expected from the youngster, especially by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has already labelled Mengi ‘special’ and compared him to Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, who captained Ajax at 18.

As things stand, including injuries, current fitness and any expected transfers, here’s a ranking of how United’s nine senior centre-back stand in the pecking order ahead of the delayed new season…

9. Marcos Rojo

Marcos Rojo last played for United in November, a one-minute cameo against Brighton. He joined boyhood club Estudiantes on loan in January, a move that was limited to just a single appearance because of injury and then the coronavirus pandemic.

Rojo is back in training but is being kept away from the first-team ‘bubble’ in the hope that he will be able to secure a move before the transfer window closes on 5 October.

Of all the players in the current United squad who have no long-term future at Old Trafford – and there are unfortunately still a few – the Argentine is least likely to ever play for the club again.

8. Chris Smalling

The chances of Chris Smalling completing a transfer away from United in the coming weeks are high, although talks with Roma have failed to yield an agreement over a fee.

United are rigidly sticking to their £20m asking price and it has been reported in recent days that Roma are growing frustrated and have in fact announced the signing of another centre back in the form of the immensely talented Marash Kumbulla.

Like Rojo, Smalling is back at Carrington but is training away from the rest of the group in his own ‘bubble’.

7. Axel Tuanzebe

Solskjaer is a big fan of Axel Tuanzebe and the only reason one of the highest rated talents to emerge from the United academy in the last decade is so far down this list is because of injury.

The 22-year-old missed most of last season because of injury and was still a ’few weeks’ away from resuming full training when Solskjaer last gave an update on his condition.

It is frustrating because, when fit, Tuanzebe is potentially very good and was regularly in the matchday day squad in the early weeks of last season. If he can overcome his injury problems and prove his fitness there is no doubt he could easily be the number three centre-back again.

6. Timothy Fosu-Mensah

Although primarily known as a right-back, Timothy Fosu-Mensah has occasionally played as a centre-back in the Premier League for both Crystal Palace and Fulham during loan spells.

The Dutch defender doesn’t appear to have a long-term future at Old Trafford, despite a very promising start as a teenager back in 2016, but he is at least a fit and available option for now.

Once Tuanzebe is fit and should Smalling stay at the club, both would likely move above Fosu-Mensah in the centre-back pecking order.

5. Phil Jones

Phil Jones was back in training on Monday after recovering from injury. He featured only a handful of times last season when Solskjaer had no other options and isn’t likely to be involved much over the course of 2020/21 unless circumstances dictate it absolutely necessary.

That being said, being currently fit, actually training with the squad and not waiting at the door like either Rojo or Smalling is working in his favour for now.

Unlike the situation with Smalling, who has at least one club interested in him, and Rojo, who has already left once, United will struggle to find a new club for Jones before the deadline. In previous years it might have been possible, but coronavirus has shot the market for most clubs to pieces.

4. Teden Mengi

With COVID-19 protocols making it necessary for every squad to become a ‘bubble’ and ensuring young players should not be jumping back and forth between the Under-23s and the first-team, Solskjaer took a decision with Teden Mengi and chose to keep him with the seniors.

Mengi, who turned 18 during lockdown, made his United debut against LASK in the Europa League last month and has been handed a new shirt number more in keeping with his greater status – 43 down from the 71 he sported last season.

A few factors have come together to make the teenager already fourth choice centre-back on the even of United’s 2020/21 opener. That is the likelihood of no new centre-back arriving before the transfer deadline, Tuanzebe’s fitness and Jones, Smalling and Rojo being out of favour.

3. Eric Bailly

Eric Bailly remains a popular figure with most United fans and his aggressive style is well suited to the Premier League - if can stay fit. But that always been the problem for the Ivorian, who has missed more football than he has played in his four years in Manchester.

Bailly missed the first half of last season while he recovered from a long-term knee injury and was largely a substitute in the Premier League when he returned to fitness, although he did feature in the FA Cup and Europa League, albeit not the latter semi-final against Sevilla.

He could yet challenge for a starting place if his fitness holds out, but that won’t come straight away as he only started training again at the start of this week.

2. Victor Lindelof

Victor Lindelof hasn’t progressed as United fans would have hoped at the age of 26 and now about to begin his fourth season at Old Trafford. It is disappointing because the Swede had looked extremely promising during parts of the 2018/19 campaign.

Lindelof is perhaps the greatest beneficiary of a lack of genuine competition at the heart of United’s defence. A new centre-back is on the radar for Solskjaer, but it almost certainly won’t happen this summer and that gives Lindelof what could be a final chance to prove himself as a starter.

Fans will hope he is spurred on by being called out by Bruno Fernandes against Sevilla.

1. Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire has had a summer to forget after being slapped with a suspended prison sentence in Greece after his holiday to Mykonos turned into a nightmare – he is contesting that verdict.

But Maguire retains the United captaincy and remains the club’s premier centre-back following his £80m summer transfer from Leicester last year.

The 27-year-old appears to have the making of a decent leader and voice at the back, but his own quality is up for debate after a decidedly mixed first season.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!