In the last weeks of the summer transfer window, Manchester United may sell a few players as Erik ten Hag looks to simplify his team.

Fred, a Brazilian midfielder, appears to be on his way to Fenerbahce of Turkey, and a deal to trade Harry Maguire to West Ham United is getting closer.

The defender, who came from Leicester City in the summer of 2019 for a fee of £80 million, appears to be ending his four-year affiliation with the Old Trafford team.

How did Harry Maguire fare in the previous campaign?

With only eight Premier League starts out of 16 total starts in all competitions under Ten Hag, the Englishman was unable to establish himself in the starting lineup, and it is clear that the Dutchman does not have confidence in him as a long-term member of the team.

Even when given the chance to play in the league, he was unable to make a difference, finishing the season in a dismal 18th place overall within the United team in tackles per game (0.5), outside the top five in interceptions (0.8), and with accurate passes (30.6) per game.

Ten Hag might boost his defence with the money raised from the probable sale of the defender, and the Red Devils have been linked to a deal for Edmond Tapsoba recently.

Edmond Tapsoba: who is he?

As the transfer season enters its final weeks, Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst tweeted earlier this week that Tapsoba was “of interest” to United as Ten Hag looked for a replacement for Maguire.

The Burkina Faso international is valued at over €50 million (£43 million) by German club Bayer Leverkusen, and given his skill at playing out from the back, he may be a useful addition to the Old Trafford squad.

In fact, when compared to positional contemporaries in Europe’s top five leagues, Tapsoba rates in the top 7% for both progressive passes (5.78) and progressive carries (1.45) per 90. He also enjoys taking on opponents, placing in the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.

According to these data, Ten Hag might be the ideal replacement for Maguire as he frequently looks for his center-backs to move the ball from defence to attack.

The former Hull City defender, in comparison, did not place in the top 30% for progressive passes (3.01) or successful takedowns (0.26 per 90), and he did not place in the top 25% for progressive carries (0.86 per 90), suggesting that his skill set did not fully align with Ten Hag’s beliefs.

When Tapsoba first entered the senior game in 2019, talent scout Jacek Kulig praised him as “complete and elegant” and cited “pace, tackling, and aerial duels” as some of his primary qualities.

It would seem that the 24-year-old could not only replace Maguire physically at the centre of the United defence, but also be an improvement over the Englishman in terms of his forward-thinking mentality.