Former striker turned pundit Charlie Austin has backed Manchester United to sign Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rudiger.
The Red Devils currently have Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven as centre-back options. On the other hand, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are right-backs, while Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu are the left-back options.
So, on paper, it seems United already have enough options at the back, but most of them have displayed below-average performances this season.
The Old Trafford club have struggled with defensive frailties, conceding 30 goals in 15 matches across all competitions. As a result, they are languishing in the relegation zone.
Now, during a recent interview, Austin says (via Metro) that Man Utd need a whole new back four to turn the situation around and an experienced defender like Rudiger might be a shrewd acquisition. So, United’s new manager Mauricio Pochettino might ask the club to sign him.
Austin said:
“Manchester United need a whole new back-four. That’s first and foremost. They need someone who’s going to be aggressive. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pochettino went for someone like Antonio Rudiger.
“Someone of that ilk: experienced, knows the Premier League, still mobile and still athletic. That’s where I think they should be looking. Then you can build the defence around someone like that and bring in younger players.”
Man Utd tipped to sign Rudiger
After running his contract down with Chelsea, Rudiger joined Real Madrid back in 2022. He has enjoyed great success in the Spanish capital in recent years, winning a La Liga title, a Champions League trophy and several other major cup competitions.
However, the 33-year-old has entered the final year of his current contract and has mainly featured as a rotational option under Jose Mourinho this season.
Rudiger, standing at 6ft 3in tall, is still quick, strong, comfortable playing out from the back, good in the air, and efficient in defensive contributions.
He is a Premier League-proven player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Man Utd should they sign him for free next year. The Old Trafford club might even be able to agree on a pre-contract deal with him in January if he doesn’t sign an extension at Real Madrid over the coming months.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether Man Utd eventually make a concrete approach to secure Rudiger’s services in January or next summer.
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