This summer, Manchester United was successful in acquiring both Mason Mount and Andre Onana thanks to Erik ten Hag’s apparent scientific approach to the transfer market.

Rasmus Hojlund might be the following signing; the Danish striker underwent a club physical ahead of his potential transfer, and it appears that the Dutchman is prepared to add a few more players before the window closes.

Is Jean-Clair Todibo joining Manchester United?

The Old Trafford team is getting closer to bringing in OGC Nice center-back Jean-Clair Todibo during the transfer window, according to rumours in Spain (via TEAMtalk).

The transfer appears to only cost United €30 million (£26 million), and it appears they were able to hold off Barcelona for the Frenchman’s signature.

It finally seems as though Ten Hag has acquired his first defensive acquisition of the summer, with all sections of his squad needing reinforcement.

Does Manchester United have a future for Harry Maguire?

With several teams expressing interest in him, Maguire’s time at United will undoubtedly be up with the arrival of Todibo.

This summer, Everton is trying to add the Englishman to their roster as Sean Dyche aims to strengthen their defence. West Ham United was also considering a transfer for the defender.

The former Leicester City center-back had a miserable season last year because he only made 16 starts across all competitions, including only eight in the Premier League. It is obvious that Ten Hag preferred the defensive pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

Maguire failed to have a good impact on the team, as evidenced by the fact that even throughout his appearances, he only rated tenth on the team for accurate throws made per game in the league, while ranking 18th for tackles made and eighth for interceptions made per game.

It seems doubtful that he would remain with the team once the transfer window closes after Onana chastised him after a slip-up during a preseason friendly against Borussia Dortmund.

Todibo may also be a significant improvement over Maguire in a number of areas, which will help Ten Hag in the future season.

During the domestic season of 2022–23, the Nice defender outperformed the United center-back in terms of pass completion percentage (88.1% vs. 85.1%), aerial duel success (57.4% vs. 53.2%), and take-on completion (71.4% vs. 66.7%).

Todibo also placed in the top 8% for tackles per 90 (2.38) and the top 12% for progressive passes per 90 (4.8) among positional peers over the previous 365 days, indicating that he is not only skilled at moving the ball from defence to attack well, but also adept at winning it back frequently because of his tenacious ability.

It is clear that there is a significant disparity between the two defenders as Maguire averaged just 3.09 progressive passes per 90 and 1.03 tackles per 90, failing to place in the top 50% when compared to positional peers.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig said the Nice defender “could be a big bargain for some smart club in the summer” in January, and it appears that United have won that particular race and grabbed themselves a fantastic investment.