Surprise move: Man United agree transfer fee to sign”extraordinary” UCL winner

The Premier League is back! Manchester United defeated Fulham 1-0 at home to start the season on the right note following a disappointing campaign the previous year.

Although Erik ten Hag’s team wasn’t flawless, they appeared strong, and there are definitely encouraging indicators both on and off the pitch right now, which should excite supporters for the upcoming ten months.

Furthermore, there is still one week left in the transfer window, and according to recent sources, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and company are working to add even more talent before it ends.

One of the players being linked to a transfer to Old Trafford is a Champions League winner who has been compared to Matthijs de Ligt during the past four seasons.

News about transfers involving Manchester United
Sport, a Spanish newspaper, recently reported that United is one of several teams interested in Barcelona star Andreas Christensen.

In addition to the Red Devils, the rumour states that Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the Danish international; however, the source also alleges that the Magpies are having financial difficulties.

According to the source, although Barça manager Hansi Flick would prefer to keep the gifted defender in Spain for the summer, the club would be enticed to sell him by an offer of roughly €25 million, or £21 million.

Though it wouldn’t be a cheap trade, considering Christensen’s calibre and background—especially considering that he’s been likened to De Ligt—it would be worthwhile to pursue.

Christensen and De Ligt’s comparison
All right, so let’s start by talking about this comparison to De Ligt and its origins.

It is mainly due to FBref, which compares players in comparable positions from the last 365 days in the Champions League and Europa League, two of Europe’s top five leagues. From there, it generates a list of the ten most comparable players for all players, and it is from this list that they have determined that the Dutchman is the most similar centre-back to the Dane.

You can examine a number of underlying metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, progressive carries, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area, tackles won, successful take-ons, ball recoveries, and aerial duels won, all per 90, to gain a better understanding of how they arrived at this conclusion.

The Barça star would be an enticing addition to a team that will see more youth participate as the INEOS revolution progresses, but it would be more than simply his statistical likeness to the Red Devils’ outstanding new centre-back.

The former boss Xavi referred to the defence as “extraordinary,” despite only being 28 years old, and he has an amazing amount of experience. In the Premier League, he has made 93 appearances; in the Bundesliga, 62, La Liga, 44, Champions League, and 20 in the Europa League.

His trophy collection is equally astounding; he has won the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Europa League, Club World Cup, and La Liga with Barcelona.

In the end, Christensen may not be the most thrilling name available, but he won’t break the bank, has garnered parallels to De Ligt, and has a wealth of knowledge. As a result, even if he just stays at Old Trafford for a few years, United should attempt to bring him in this summer. He would undoubtedly strengthen their defence.