Manchester United faces a defensive limbo as the new season beckons and the manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted he will have to trim his squad as he continues to target new signings.
The United defence has been weak and was easily broken into in most of the times n the last season and the manager is working on filling the loopholes in readiness for the next season which has seen him bring in Aaron Wan-Bissaka already and still going for more.
United have brought six centre-halves on tour with them at a time when they are pursuing a deal with Leicester City for England defender Harry Maguire.
Victor Lindelof has been linked with a move to Barcelona but the Swede has distanced himself from claims by his agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, about a potential move by insisting he is “very happy” at Old Trafford.
🇾🇪Potential #mufc defensive depth:
• RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Diogo Dalot
• CB: Victor Lindelof | Eric Bailly
• CB: Harry Maguire | Axel Tuanzebe
• LB: Luke Shaw | Ashley Young💬That's a very solid group.. barring Ash. pic.twitter.com/CY3F3aorGS
— ً (@utdrobbo) July 12, 2019
As it stands, United will not entertain Lindelof’s departure but it remains to be seen what happens with Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Axel Tuanzebe.
The Red Devils boss will listen to offers for Rojo, Bailly, who has been linked with a move away and Jones who signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract in February has been touted as a potential makeweight in a deal for Maguire whose record move is still in talks.
Axel Tuanzebe spent last season on loan at Aston Villa helping them to return to the Premier League but will be given a chance to prove his worth on tour according to the manager, even though the Midlands club are eager to take him on loan again next season in the Premier League.
“Yeah, of course, there’s a limit of players,” Solskjaer said when asked about his stockpile of centre-halves ahead of Wednesday’s game against Leeds United at the Optus Stadium. “Whoever performs will be part of the team and whoever doesn’t they have got to fight to get back in. There’s been loads of speculation but we’ll work to find a relationship with the ones we’ve got.
“Axel has got a great chance of staying here and playing. He had a great season last year. It was a stop-start season with injuries but he’s really proven he can play at that level, he got promoted with Villa and he’s come strong. Focused. He did well in the first game here against Perth Glory on Saturday and he’s one of the exciting players that I can’t wait to see more of.”
Lindelof insisted he was happy at United as he played down talk of an exit, despite Cetinkaya saying: “Lindelof is in the orbit of a great European club but leaving United depends on the English club.
Solskjaer who said Matteo Darmian, Fred and goalkeeper Dean Henderson would join the tour in Singapore is convinced everyone who starts the season with United will be totally committed to the club as uncertainty continues to surround the futures of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku.