It’s reasonable to describe Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign as frustrating, even with an FA Cup victory.
To sum up the Red Devils’ season, they finished the campaign with a goal difference of -1, which highlights that issues spanned across the entire team.
However, it’s the defensive department that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will want to bolster this summer, with a replacement for the departing Raphael Varane a top priority.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a potential signing who can not only secure the backline but also make Diogo Dalot even better than he already is.
Man Utd’s search for a new defender
According to a report from FootballTransfers, Man United are 'interested' in signing Jules Kounde.
The Barcelona defender is reportedly willing to leave the Spanish giant this summer, while his club also needs to raise funds.
Kounde is a centre back by trade, but it’s mentioned that he became increasingly frustrated with playing out of position as a right-back on a permanent basis.
It’s stated that a fee of around £43m could be enough for Hansi Flick to sell the French ace, which looks like a reasonable price.
How Kounde could turn Dalot into a monster
Dalot’s 2023/24 campaign has been without doubt his best season in a United shirt since his arrival, even winning the Players’ Player of the Year award at the club.
Amongst the mayhem that’s been a defensive injury crisis, the Portuguese defender has been a constant presence in the team, even playing out-of-position at left-back.
The former Porto youth star has started 35 Premier League games this season, providing five goal contributions in the process.
Although this return is far from mind-blowing, he’s shown the potential of being a fantastic attacking full-back due to his technical class.
Touches
63.5
89
Passes completed
34.7
65.3
Pass accuracy
84%
91%
Key passes
1.1
0.7
Dribbled past
0.6
0.7
Duels won
4.4
4
Tackles
2.2
1.1
As you can see by the two players’ stats above, they would complement each other brilliantly on the right of the United backline.
Firstly, there’s a reason why Kounde has been labelled “one of the best defenders in the world” by his former coach Xavi, which is due to his defensive security and athleticism, as shown above.
This would enable Dalot to attack more frequently with the freedom of knowing that Kounde will be able to lock down the opponent on his own, especially having had the experience of playing as a right-back.
Furthermore, due to the 25-year-old being extremely comfortable on the ball and technically gifted, he can take some of the responsibility off Dalot to help in the build-up phase. This means that the number 20 can make more runs similar to his goal against Brighton & Hove Albion.
This means that the Portuguese international then has the freedom to find pockets of space, where he can then get on the half-turn and progress the play forward.
The duo are also great athletes, as shown by their duels won and dribbled past stats, which will make the Red Devils cope much better with counterattacks and dynamic forwards, which is where they’ve struggled this campaign.
Therefore, signing a player like Kounde makes complete sense, and if he can also get the best out of Dalot – who has hardly had a regular option next to him this season due to injury – he’s a must-buy.
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