Manchester United have been a total enigma so far this season; they stand on the verge of an early exit from the Champions League, they have played out some genuinely shocking defeats in the Premier League, and rival fans seem giddy at the prospect of Erik ten Hag losing his job.
However, with 15 league games played, they are somehow just three points behind defending champions Manchester City and look like they could now mount a serious charge for the European places following their comprehensive victory over Chelsea on Wednesday evening.
The Red Devils could potentially be on the long road back to recovery, and while the previously derided defensive pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have done an admirable job to get them there, Ten Hag should really be looking to upgrade them in 2024 – the pair having both been tipped for an exit over the summer.
Luckily enough, it appears as if that is precisely what the club are planning to do, as the three-time European champions have recently been linked to Crystal Palace's vice-captain, Marc Guehi.
Manchester United transfer news – Marc Guehi
According to Football Insider, Manchester United have made Guehi their 'number one target' for the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old is currently on £50k-per-week at Selhurst Park, and with his contract set to expire in 2026, the Eagles are reportedly sounding out his interest in signing a new deal to see him remain in south London well past that date.
The former Chelsea man joined Palace in 2021 for a fee in the region of £20m, but it will reportedly cost three times as much for the Red Devils to sign him as the required fee is said to be in the region of £60m.
While that is undoubtedly a significant asking price, the performances of the "absolute tank", as described by former England U21 goalkeeper Josef Bursik, in the last couple of years more than justify it.
How Guehi compares to Maguire and Lindelof
The first thing to note is that Maguire and Lindelof have looked significantly better this year and have subsequently played themselves into the team far more than most would have expected prior to the season.
Man Utd takeover: 4 players Ratcliffe could immediately bin at Old Trafford
If Ratcliffe does come in, he could show no mercy in offloading a whole host of Man United players…
ByKelan Sarson
They have still made mistakes; there is no getting away from that, but they have partially rebuilt their reputations – Maguire, in particular, after winning November's Premier League Player of the Month award.
However, if United really want to progress and get back to where they deserve to be, where they should be, they must move on and improve upon both defenders. Which is where Guehi comes in.
The Palace vice-captain is still just 23 years old but has already accrued significant top-flight and international experience. He has been consistently impressive for Roy Hodgson's side and comes out on top in several key statistics.
Guehi
Maguire
Lindelof
64.4 (88.0%)
60.8 (82.6%)
70.4 (90.1%)
0.79
0.48
0.60
0.93
1.08
0.80
4.57
4.46
2.30
5.21
4.22
4.90
0.57
0.70
1.57
The 'brilliant' centre-back, as described by BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks, wins more tackles, makes more clearances, and recovers more balls, all while committing considerably fewer fouls than his competition.
Additionally, while the Swedish international has the most accurate passing of them all, Guehi is only marginally less precise, suggesting that he could adapt to a more adventurous style of play at the Theatre of Dreams.
Finally, while there are plenty of footballing reasons to sign the Palace defender in January, there is also a fairly significant financial one.
Combined, Maguire and Lindelof earn a whopping £310k-per-week in Manchester, and while the Abidjan-born wall would make a pretty penny in red, the wage bill would be significantly healthier.
