Manchester United have won just nine of their 18 matches across all competitions this season so far and this far from the form which will see them claim any sort of success.
Erik ten Hag will use the international break as an ideal chance to rethink just where the club have gone wrong during 2023/24, but it's abundantly clear that he doesn’t have the quality required to make a sustained Premier League title challenge, nor go far in the Champions League.
Despite spending £191.7m during the summer transfer window, is Ten Hag’s squad really any better for it?
Rasmus Hojlund has netted five times in Europe, yet has failed to find the back of the net in the top flight, while Mason Mount hasn’t even registered a single goal contribution across ten league or European ties this season.
Andre Onana was expected to take over the mantle from David De Gea, yet he has conceded 30 goals in 18 matches, keeping just six clean sheets in the process.
With the January transfer window approaching, could the former Ajax boss rectify some of his summer mistakes by signing a player or two who will change United’s fortunes?
Only time will tell, yet they have been linked with numerous players and there is one who could certainly improve their defence – Jonathan Tah.
Man Utd transfer news
According to the Sun, the Old Trafford side are eyeing a potential move for the Bayer Leverkusen defender in the coming months, yet they could face some stiff competition amid the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the north west.
Newcastle United are also interested in Tah, with Eddie Howe looking for some defensive reinforcements in order to replace Dan Burn and Sven Botman, who are currently injured.
West Ham United are another name which has been mentioned, yet the lure of Manchester would surely trump the other two clubs and Ten Hag must act swiftly if he is to bring the German international to the Premier League.
He has just 18 months left on his current contract at the Bundesliga side and this could suggest a club will be able to secure him for a lower fee than first anticipated.
According to Football Transfers, Tah is currently valued at €22.4m (£20m) and if United managed to sign him for a fee in this region, it could turn out to be a wonderful bargain.
Ten Hag may have to ship out a few players during January in order to fund any future signings, and Victor Lindelof should be one of the players who is ditched.
Victor Lindelof’s season in numbers
Ordinarily, the Swede shouldn’t be a regular fixture in the starting XI, yet due to injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martínez this season, the former Benfica centre-back has played a prominent role in the first team.
Across the club's 18 matches this season, the 29-year-old has featured in 15 of them, scoring and grabbing an assist in the process.
In contrast, he made 35 appearances during the whole of the 2022/23 season, while nine of his 14 Premier League starts came following Martinez’s injury that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
Lindelof currently ranks in a lowly 16th position across the squad for tackles per game in the league (0.6), while also ranking fourth for interceptions (0.7) and ninth for clearances (1.4), suggesting that he hasn’t made the biggest impact when on the field.
He has just a few months left on his current contract, yet it remains to be seen whether Ratcliffe and co will offer him an extended deal, especially as Ten Hag is clearly looking for an upgrade in that position.
Tah would be the ideal candidate, and he has shone for Leverkusen this term after their impressive start to the season.
Jonathan Tah’s Bayer Leverkusen statistics
Since joining the club from Hamburg back in 2015, Tah has gone on to make over 250 appearances for Leverkusen over the previous eight years, firmly establishing himself as a mainstay in the defence.
Under Xabi Alonso this term, the Bundesliga side have won ten and drew one of their 11 matches, and they could realistically challenge Bayern Munich’s hegemony of the league title.
Accurate passes per game
44
66.5
Aerial duels won per game
1.7
1.5
Tackles per game
0.8
1
Interceptions per game
1.2
0.4
Clearances per game
3.5
4.3
Stats via Sofascore.
The German defender ranks fourth across the squad for accurate passes per game (66.5), while ranking first for clearances per game (4.3) and fifth for tackles per game (one), proving to be in excellent form.
He has even won a staggering 74% of his aerial duels in the league this season along with winning 61% of his ground duels, and this aerial strength combined with his excellent physicality could allow him to thrive in the Premier League.
Tah was even lauded by former teammate Christopher Kramer a few years ago, who described him as a “real battleship” and it is certainly further evidence of his wonderful strength.
His passing ability could also endear him to Ten Hag as when compared to his positional peers across Europe, Tah currently ranks in the top 3% with regard to pass completion percentage per 90 (92.7%) while ranking in the top 20% for passes attempted per 90 (67.56) and with the Dutchman preferring his defenders to play out from the back, this attribute could be vital.
The next few weeks could be an interesting time in Manchester, especially with the transfer window fast approaching.
Ten Hag will be desperate to bolster his side and, given their poor run of form recently, perhaps an influx of fresh faces could light a spark in the current squad and enable them to perform much better on the pitch.
Lindelof could be heading into the final few months of his United career, and although he has had to make the step-up this season, it is primarily down to injury issues, as normally, he would be further down the pecking order.
With the interest shown in Tah of late, the Dutchman would be signing a player who looks as though he is just about to enter his peak, and they could potentially secure his signature for a knockdown price.
It is a no-brainer for the manager and Ratcliffe, especially as the former's leaky defence needs fixed as soon as possible.
