Manchester United’s season hit new lows on the weekend as they slumped to a woeful 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Erik ten Hag has led the club to just five Premier League wins all season, and they currently occupy eighth spot in the table after ten matches played.
Combine this with the fact they have won only one of their three Champions League matches so far this term and it's evident that the pressure will soon start to pile on the Dutchman.
Of course, he has not been helped by injuries to several key players. Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have all been out for large chunks of the current season and this hasn’t helped United from a defensive point of view.
Indeed, they have had to rely on Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelof, three players who Ten Hag clearly doesn’t envisage in any future plans.
Maguire was even close to joining West Ham United during the summer transfer window but chose to remain at Old Trafford to fight for his place instead.
Harry Maguire's season in numbers
The England defender has just under two years left on his current contract at the Red Devils and given that he was extremely close to departing during the summer, he has found himself featuring more than first expected.
Injuries are arguably the only reason for this as he has had to cover for Martinez and Raphael Varane, and he has featured in five Premier League matches thus far.
Accurate passes
39.6
Tackles
0.6
Interceptions
0.6
Clearances
Two
Total duels won
3.2
Numbers via Sofascore
Across the United squad, Maguire currently ranks in a lowly eighth position for accurate passes per game (39.6) in the top flight, while also ranking 15th for tackles (0.6), ninth for interceptions (0.6) and seventh for clearances (two) per game, indicating that even when he is called upon, the defender is hardly inspiring his team.
During his five league ties, United have conceded nine goals when Maguire has been on the pitch and if Ten Hag wishes to take the Old Trafford side back to the summit of English football, then a bigger improvement must be made across the defence.
With this in mind, could he perhaps be eyeing up another centre-back or two when the January window finally opens up? Jean-Clair Todibo is a player who has been on his radar for quite a few months now.
Man Utd transfer news – Jean-Clair Todibo
During the summer, it was revealed that United were keen on making a move for the Frenchman before the transfer window shut, yet no move ever materialised.
It appears as though they are still keeping tabs on him according to Fabrizio Romano, who wrote: “Jean-Clair Todibo is having an incredible season at Nice and was already very expensive last summer when United considered the possibility of signing him. At that point Nice wanted €40m/€45m, so imagine now, with the club first in the Ligue Un table, the boy is gonna be super expensive – but Man United really like him.”
It looks as though United may have to shell out a big transfer fee if they do wish to prise him away from Ligue 1 mid-season, and considering they could have signed him for just €30m (£26m) just a few short months ago, it signifies just how poor the club have been in the transfer market.
Ten Hag’s key priority is surely to bolster a defence that has shipped 23 goals already this term but Todibo be the answer to the Dutchman’s prayers.
How Jean-Clair Todibo compares to Harry Maguire
The French side are enjoying an excellent start to the season as they currently sit top of the Ligue 1 table, a point clear of Paris Saint-Germain.
Much of this has been down to a stellar defence which has conceded only four goals across ten games, and Todibo has played in nine of those games.
Across the Nice squad, the 23-year-old currently ranks second for accurate passes per game (78.8) while also ranking second for tackles (2.1), first for interceptions (1.3) and clearances (three) per game, indicating how important he is to the club.
The 6 foot 3 titan has been wonderful and would surely be a huge upgrade on Maguire should United make a move for him in the coming months, and it is something that Ten Hag will need to consider, especially with his lacklustre defence costing him in big matches.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers across Europe, Todibo ranks in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.63) along with ranking in the top 4% for tackles per 90 (2.46) and proves that not only is he strong in the tackle, but he is clearly impressive when taking part in one on one duels.
In comparison, Maguire ranks in just the top 47% with regard to successful take-ons per 90 (0.23) when compared to positional peers while he ranks in the lowest 17% for tackles per 90 (1.05) and it is evident that the Frenchman has the edge over him with regard to these metrics.
Todibo has also won more total duels per game than Maguire (4.4 vs 3.2) along with recovering more balls per game (8.4 vs 3.4) and registering more clean sheets (six vs zero) in their respective domestic leagues.
Accurate passes per game
56.7
78.8
Tackles per game
2.2
2.1
Interceptions per game
1.2
1.3
Clearances per game
3.1
3
Total duels won per game
4.4
4.4
Stats via Sofascore
Signing the Nice defender should be a no-brainer for Ten Hag as he is clearly having a much greater impact on his team's success than Maguire is with United, plus he is still to arguably hit his peak years and it could be an excellent investment.
The next few months are vital in restoring some confidence and the Dutchman will be aiming to send the Red Devils into the January transfer window in the best place possible to make signings that will only improve the team.
Luring Todibo to the Premier League must be a priority, that’s for sure. Maguire is clearly approaching the final few months of his somewhat underwhelming stint in Manchester, and it is time he is moved on for the benefit of both parties.