Manchester United will be the biggest buyers in the center back market this coming summer, because they will move on from veterans Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, and Jonny Evans in a thorough cleaning of the house.
While Varane is still a capable player, the Frenchman’s contract is running out, and his skills at the highest level are cleary declining. Varane can barely get on the pitch, and Manchester United know the time is right to move on.
Only Lisandro Martinez fits the profile of a top-class, young center back who can start for Manchester United for the next several years.
The task, then, for the Red Devils is to find two more center backs who fit that profile, as the central defensive positions are becoming even more coveted in the modern game; it takes three to tango now.
According to a report from Gary Jacobs of The Times, Manchester United have both Crystal Palace star center back Marc Guehi and Wolves central defender Max Kilman on their transfer shortlist.
Guehi, a former Chelsea player, is just 23 years old and already one of the best center backs in English football, even if he gets a fraction of the credit he deserves from the mainstream.
There’s no doubt that Guehi would be an immediate starter for Manchester United next to Martinez, and he may be even better than Martinez because of how sharply he reads the game.
Kilman isn’t as highly-rated or as young at 26, but that’s still a relatively young age for a center back. Like Guehi, Kilman has shown leadership potential for Wolves and is having an excellent 2023/24 season.
At the right price, Kilman could make sense as a steady third center back for Manchester United. He is a significantly better player than Maguire, Lindelof, and Evans, and, at this stage of their careers, he may honestly be nearly as good as Varane, too.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.