English center-backs have been a cornerstone of Manchester United’s Premier League dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson.

During the 1992–1993 season, a team led by Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister won United’s first league championship since 1967. Later, Ferguson looked to the transfer market to find local talent.

In 2002, Rio Ferdinand transferred from Leeds United to Old Trafford for a then-British transfer record sum of £30 million.

Under Ferguson’s guidance, the defender won six Premier League championships and a Champions League trophy, making 455 appearances in the process. It was a brilliant play by the cunning Scot.

Could Erik ten Hag emulate United’s Ferdinand masterclass by making a move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi given the need for a strong center-back there?

Marc Guehi: Is Man United interested?

The club’s new number seven, Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund were all signed this summer, but it is obvious that Ten Hag is still looking for one or two more defenders.

The Dutchman is in need of extra reinforcements as Harry Maguire is getting closer to leaving the Red Devils.

Guehi has surfaced as a potential target for United, according to Chris Wheeler of The Daily Mail, and he might cost Ten Hag a fee in the neighbourhood of £60 million.

How did Marc Guehi fare in the prior campaign?

The Palace talent, who was born in Ivory Coast, had a strong season in 2022–2023 and, despite his youth, had a positive impact on the team with his performances.

During the league campaign, he showed his defensive prowess by ranking second for interceptions (1.2) and for clearances (3.6) per game, while placing seventh among his colleagues for tackles (1.4) per game.

Guehi is able to sustain outstanding standards throughout the entirety of a game, much like Ferdinand, who never allowed standards to slide, according to WhoScored.

The England international has previously been praised as a “absolute tank” by Josef Bursik, a former teammate from his time competing for the Three Lions’ U21 team. Statman Dave also praised the teenager as a “brilliant talent” in December 2021.

He has obviously improved since then, earning four senior England caps, and he might be a crucial player moving into the 2024 European Championship.

The £50k a week gem is destined to move to the top tier of the Premier League after serving his apprenticeship at Palace.

He should find comfort in Ferdinand’s course. Even though he had a little more experience at the time, it’s possible that moving to a top-flight team with elite players helped him reach a much higher level. He eventually developed into what the Premier League calls “one of the greatest ball-playing central defenders of his era.”

In the event that Ten Hag signs Guehi, he may have to compete with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez for a spot in the starting lineup; in doing so, he might develop into their current iteration of the 81-cap former United defender.

Whatever happens, the Dutchman will have to move quickly because the transfer window is set to close in less than three weeks and because the former Ajax manager’s time is slowly running out.