Manchester United have won their previous two matches, scoring four goals and conceding none, as they look to kickstart their season following a run of three successive defeats.
Erik ten Hag hasn’t had it all his own way this season as he aims to challenge domestically and in the Champions League, yet much will depend on how quickly some of his new signings settle in and get up to speed with the high expectations at United.
The jury is certainly out on a few of his summer arrivals as Andre Onana and Mason Mount haven’t exactly exploded into life at the Red Devils, while Rasmus Hojlund has only played five times due to missing the first few matches of the season due to injury, scoring once.
Overall, Ten Hag spent €196.7m (£170m) during the transfer window, and he perhaps would’ve been able to spend more had he moved on some deadwood towards the end of the summer, as Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire were touted with moves away from the club.
Does Harry Maguire have a long-term future at Manchester United?
Maguire looked like he was close to securing a £30m move to league rivals West Ham United during the final few weeks of the transfer window, yet he eventually decided to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place in the starting XI.
The Englishman has just under two years left on his current contract, indicating that Ten Hag doesn’t have long to move him on for a reasonable fee as it appears he isn’t part of the long term plans under the Dutchman.
This is evidenced by the fact he has played only twice so far this term, despite the Manchester giants suffering various injuries to key defenders.
Maguire may have already departed Manchester had the club secured the signature of a defender who lit up Serie A last season – Kim Min-jae.
Did Manchester United nearly sign Kim Min-jae?
Securing Champions League football and winning United’s first trophy in six years signified an impressive start to life at the helm of the Red Devils.
The former Ajax boss entered the transfer window with the aim of bolstering his first-team squad in preparation for the rigours of challenging on two fronts and this saw the club linked with numerous big names, with the Napoli defender included.
Back in June, The Mirror even claimed that the club were set to complete the signing of the player when his release clause became active at the start of July and this was set at just £43m.
This clause was only available for two weeks at the start of July however, and it meant United had only a short time period to conclude the deal.
Although it looked close to happening, the South Korean didn’t end up in the Premier League and it represented another case of missed opportunity by the Old Trafford side.
Why didn’t Manchester United sign Kim Min-jae?
Bayern Munich swooped in and announced the signing of the centre-back as the English side missed out on him, securing his services for around €50m (£43m).
With the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as the key defensive duo at the club, perhaps Kim may have not started as many games as his vast talent deserved and this could well have been why he chose to move to Bayern, with a spot in the starting XI guaranteed.
Given how poor defensively United have been at times this season, conceding 14 goals, while a series of injury issues also hasn’t helped their cause, missing out on Kim is looking like a bigger mistake with every passing game.
What is Kim Min-jae doing now?
The former Napoli titan enjoyed his lone campaign in Naples, helping his team win their first league title since Diego Maradona was captain.
His performances domestically ensured he ranked third across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.22), while also ranking first for accurate passes per game (72.8), fourth for tackles per game (1.6) and third for interceptions per game (1.2) as he demonstrated his attributes over a range of metrics.
Is it any wonder then that he was dubbed an “iron barrel” by his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia due to his defensive nature, and he was an integral part in their wonderful title triumph as the club conceded just 28 goals in 28 matches.
Comparing his statistics to that of Maguire from last term, it’s evident who is the best of the defenders.
The 30-year-old ranked seventh in the squad for Sofascore rating (6.95), while ranking only tenth for accurate passes per game (30.6), 18th for tackles per game (0.5) and eighth for interceptions per game (0.6), which clearly showcases that Kim is by far the superior centre-back than the Englishman, judging by these statistics.
Indeed, the former Napoli gem even has a forward-thinking mentality which would’ve benefitted Ten Hag as when compared to positional peers, he ranks in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90 (5.22) and the top 12% for progressive carries per 90 (1.19), demonstrating that he likes to bring the ball out from the back as often as possible.
In comparison, Maguire ranks only in the top 46% for progressive passes per 90 (3.38) and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90 (1.03), proving that he doesn’t quite display his attacking qualities as often as Kim.
The South Korean defender has already played seven times for his new club as he looks to win more silverware with the German side.
He already looks like a bargain at just £43m and this is certainly a transfer fee which United could have afforded, regardless if they had moved on Maguire or not.
Ten Hag has missed a trick with the former Fenerbahce defender as he fitted the Dutchman’s tactical philosophy while also being able to stand his ground and display his physical presence at the heart of the defence.
Maguire surely doesn’t have much time left at United, but failing to upgrade their options at centre-back by signing Kim during the summer is looking like a major transfer howler that Ten Hag will struggle to get over anytime soon.
