Please forgive me – after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Norwegian side Rosenborg

Please forgive me – after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Norwegian side Rosenborg

Manchester United’s 2024 pre-season campaign got underway on Monday afternoon. It was not an ideal start results-wise for Erik ten Hag’s side, after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Norwegian side Rosenborg.

It was a game in which United played very few first-team players; Casemiro, Jonny Evans, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were the only prominent faces to feature all game.

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Despite the defeat, it was a good learning curve for many academy players, and a good chance to build up match fitness. The Red Devils face Scottish giants Rangers next on Saturday afternoon at Murrayfield, before beginning their pre-season tour to the United States.

For their tour, more of United’s first-team players will join up with the squad, following extended breaks due to time away at this summer’s major international tournaments. It will give Ten Hag the opportunity to help new signings, such as Joshua Zirkzee, bed into the squad ahead of a huge season.

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Zirkzee will likely not be United’s only signing of the summer window. They have been heavily linked with Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, as they look to strengthen in defence. They have recently been linked with another Bundesliga defender who could add further quality depth at the back for Ten Hag.

Man Utd target Bundesliga defender
The players in question here is Bayer Leverkusen and Germany international centre-back Jonathan Tah. The 28-year-old had a stellar season at the heart of Leverkusen’s defence as they went invincible under Xabi Alonso, and has since been linked with a move away from the club.

Highly reputable journalist for Sky Sports, Florian Plettenberg has “been told” that the Red Devils “have inquired” about the possibility of signing the Germany international during the summer transfer window.

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However, United will not be the only side competing for Tah’s signature this summer. Bayern also want the player, and he could be a direct replacement for De Ligt, should the Dutchman get his move to Old Trafford over the summer. However, as Plettenberg explains, United know there is yet to be an agreement between the two German sides, which could open the door for a move for Tah.

A price for the defender was not confirmed by Plettenberg. However, according to Football Transfers, the German centre-back is valued at £27m, meaning this could be a ballpark figure for Tah this summer, especially given his contract expires in less than 12 months.

Why Tah would be a good signing
The 28-year-old was a pivotal member of Leverkusen’s extraordinary invincible campaign, in which they won two trophies and lost just one game; the Europe League final against Atalanta. He featured in 48 games in all competitions, missing just five games in total, chipping in with an impressive six goals.

He is clearly highly rated by his manager, Alonso. The Spaniard explained that “all teams need a player like Jonathan Tah”, highlighting just how crucial he was to the success of his side in the 2024/25 campaign.

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Should the Red Devils bring Tah in, he could be an astute alternative to the Dutchman, with the Bundesliga website actually stating they play in a similar fashion.

This is backed up via stats from FBref suggest. To begin with, their defensive stats are very similar. The 28-year-old German averages more ball recoveries per 90 minutes, with 5.51, and a better aerial duel win rate, with 73.8%. Comparatively, the 24-year-old averages 4.74 ball recoveries and an aerial duel win rate of 59.4%.

However, De Ligt’s box defending really stands out in his game, and this is also reflected in the stats. The Bayern man averages 2.21 combined tackles and interceptions compared to just 1.44 from Tah, and 3.38 clearances, just slightly more than Tah’s 3.32 each game.

Tah vs. De Ligt defensive stats (2023/24)

Stat (per 90)

Tah

De Ligt

Tackles and interceptions

1.44

2.21

Blocks

0.96

0.91

Clearances

3.32

3.38

Aerial duels won

2.66

2.12

Aerial duel win %

73.8%

59.4%

Ball recoveries

5.51

4.47

Stats from Fbref

Whilst the German possesses quality on the ball, it is statistically not as good as the former Ajax captain. The Leverkusen centre-back averages 4.55 progressive passes and 5.63 passes in the final third each 90 minutes, In contrast, De Ligt averages 6.36 progressive passes per game, and 7.08 passes into the final third, just edging it.

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.

There is no doubt that Tah is a quality centre-back, which showed given the fact he started every game at Euro 2024, aside from the round of 16 clash against Denmark for which he was suspended.

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The 28-year-old might not quite possess the same ability on the ball as De Ligt, but he is still quality when in possession, colossal in the air and is actually one of the quickest central defenders around.

For context, Tah was clocked at a top speed of 35.81kmph last season in the Bundesliga, making him the second-fastest centre-back in Germany. De Ligt, on the other hand, was clocked at 32.81kmph, even slower than Harry Kane. So, while they defend in a similar fashion, there is that obvious point of difference.

For a fee of around £27m, it could be a superb alternative signing to De Ligt, and add to United’s impressive business so far this summer.