Manchester United have been hampered by injuries to Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martínez at the center back position, and they are interested in beefing up their quality at the position, preparing to show an interest in Newcastle United star Malick Thiaw, per Sport Bild reporter Christian Falk.
Thiaw was discarded by AC Milan despite being one of the best young defenders in Italy, tabbed by Paolo Maldini for greatness before the incomparable Maldini himself was canned by the miscreants at RedBird Capital.
Well, Thiaw has been a revelation for Newcastle this season, balling out alongside Magpies veteran Fabian Schar, throwing himself at challenges and showing a high degree of technical quality and athleticism both on the ball and in defense, fulfilling the potential both Schalke and Maldini saw in the German international.
Manchester United have one of the best young center backs in the world in former Lille phenom Leny Yoro, and Martinez and De Ligt are also top-class central defenders.
But Thiaw has been the best of them all on performance this season. Man United’s needs at center back are uncertain, as they want to keep both Martinez and veteran Harry Maguire, who is still useful to the team at the right salary, this summer.
If Thiaw is available, though, he is too good to pass up on. He is just entering his prime at the age of 24 and completing 90 percent of his passes with solid one-on-one defending. If Newcastle are open, he is an easy buy for Man U.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.