Manchester United preparing for yet another centre back transfer splurge
By Ross Jackson
Manchester United are set to delve into the transfer market yet again this summer as they look to shore up their leaky defence.
The United hierarchy haven't been shy in splashing the cash in a bid to strengthen their defensive arsenal in recent years, though numerous managers have tried and failed to find a winning formula at the back.
The £80m arrival of Harry Maguire in August 2019 looked to have massively strengthened the Red Devils' backline, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side shipping just three goals more than champions Liverpool during the 2019/20 campaign.
However, the former Leicester man's partnership with Sweden international Victor Lindelof looks to have regressed somewhat this season, with United shipping 30 goals in their opening 23 league outings - the most of any of the top nine sides in the division - and Solskjaer looks set to bolster his defensive reinforcements yet again this summer.
MEN report that United are keeping tabs on a number of potential centre back arrivals, with the club's hierarchy not deterred by the possibility of spending a 'significant sum' on a new central defender if they impress between now and the end of the season.
The Red Devils have been linked to a whole host of centre backs in recent months, with Kalidou Koulibaly, Pau Torres and Dayot Upamecano all linked with moves to Old Trafford, while soon-to-be free agents David Alaba and Sergio Ramos have also been touted as potential arrivals.
Solskjaer spent the majority of the January transfer windows looking to shift the deadwood from the club, with Marcos Rojo and Timothy Fosu-Mensah's departures freeing up space on the wage bill.
The report also speculates that United haven't ruled out the possibility of making a big-money centre forward purchase in the summer, though with Edinson Cavani's October arrival adding to an already impressive forward line and United the Premier League's top scorers, it seems unlikely that the club would focus their efforts on a new forward given their defensive woes.