Manchester United are interested in Ruben Dias and are reportedly ready to meet the SL Benfica star’s £52 million buyout clause to sign him in the summer.
Manchester United seem serious in their rebuilding process under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. According to The Sun, the Red Devils are set to reinforce the back four and have locked their eyes on SL Benfica star Ruben Dias. United are ready to meet the youngster’s £52 million release clause to bring him to Old Trafford in the summer.
The 2018-19 campaign was by far Manchester United’s worst to date, as far as the defensive numbers are concerned. David De Gea failed to keep at least 10 clean sheets in a regular Premier League season for the first time in his Manchester United career while United conceded 54 goals, their most in a single Premier League campaign.
What was feared from the onset and what was highlighted by Jose Mourinho prior to the 2018-19 campaign has come true for Manchester United fans. The road ahead will be tough for Solskjaer, who has to decide which defenders to move off the books in order to make room for the ones he wants to bring in.
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have recently been handed extensions by the club but are not assured of their place in the squad, with Victor Lindelof the only centre-back to have shown any shard of consistency for Manchester United this season.
Eric Bailly is likely to be moved on, with the defender being linked with a move to Arsenal. Marcos Rojo too, looks set to leave, with the Argentine way down on the pecking order at Manchester United.
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Solskjaer needs to add personnel he can trust at the back, with a strong centre-back pairing one of the main foundations of a great team. Ruben Dias could be just that man. The 22-year-old made his breakthrough at Benfica last season but the 2018-19 campaign has truly served as a breakout campaign for Dias, who has been one of the first names on the team sheet at Estadio Sport Lisboa e Benfica.
Dias has also chipped in well on the attacking front, with a total of 4 goals and 3 assists to his name this season. Manchester United have been linked to the 22-year-old quite a lot in recent times, with Solskjaer looking to add a young but quality centre-back to the squad to pair with Lindelof.
But, Benfica are known to be tough negotiators and have reportedly made it known that any suitor that wants Dias will have to meet his £52 million buyout clause.
While this may be a tad bit high for Manchester United’s liking, the aforementioned fee is still less than what the Red Devils have been reportedly quoted previously for Harry Maguire and Kalidou Koulibaly – the other two names on their shortlist.
OPINION
Manchester United have never actually shied away from spending big to bring in personnel that are the perfect fit in the jigsaw puzzle that is the back four. Sir Alex Ferguson had brought in Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for a then record fee, with Victor Lindelof also commanding a handsome fee during his transfer from Benfica to Manchester United.
Despite Portugal not boasting a league as fearsome as the Premier League, Ruben Dias has played the most minutes in a single season, which shows his fitness levels right now, something every Manchester United defender apart from Lindelof has struggled with during the 2018-19 season.
Also, Dias has established himself as a key player within the Portugal setup, with the youngster being the most used player by Fernando Santos since the 2018 World Cup.
While some make Dias out to be too young to command the United backline, the 22-year-old has been showing he can do that and more with Benfica and the Portuguese National Team. Dias has proven his consistency at both club level and for the national side. His technical ability is an added bonus, which will allow Solskjaer to implement his style in a more fluid fashion.
Coming to an aspect that is often overlooked, Ruben Dias has more goals than all the Manchester United centre-backs combined for the 2018-19 campaign. Goals from centre-backs are one of the staples for great teams and will help United, who have found it hard to score when their forwards have not been in form.
We believe Ruben Dias is a prospect worth taking a £52 million punt on for Manchester United, especially judging by how Lindelof has turned out. The 22-year-old looks set for the big stage and we can see him dominating the United team sheets for years to come, should United bring him in.
