Watch out Yoro & Heaven: Man Utd now targeting “monster” £35m signing
Life under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United has been considerably frustrating for the majority of his tenure.
The Red Devils have never managed to get a consistent run of form together with Amorim as the manager, and even now have won just three games since the start of November.
It has also been tough for younger players to get into the side, with Kobbie Mainoo a prime example of that. However, Amoirm has placed a lot of trust in teen defenders Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, with both players showing across the last year why they are so highly rated.
United are potentially looking to repeat that masterstroke by signing yet another young defender with a huge future ahead of him.
Man Utd targeting new defender for Amorim
There are reportedly a few names United are considering this January, in all areas of the pitch. One of the players who keeps getting mentioned is Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher, with the Red Devils keen to add to the depth in the centre of the park.
Aside from that, new reports have emerged courtesy of Sky Sports, that signing a centre-back is ‘on the agenda’ at Old Trafford. They reveal that United are ‘one of the clubs monitoring’ Stade Rennes youngster Jeremy Jacquet.
This is by no means going to be a straightforward deal for INEOS to get over the line.
Jacquet is one of the most sought-after talents in Europe, with Sky reporting that ‘several clubs are keen’ and a deal this month could happen if things accelerate.
As for a price, £35m is the ballpark figure United may have to pay.
What Jacquet could add to Amorim’s squad
There is no doubt that Jacquet is a defender with bags of talent. At 20 years of age, he has cemented himself in the Rennes side as a key player and has become a regular at international level for France under-21s.
The defender, who, like Kylian Mbappe, is from Bondy in Paris, has played a crucial role for the Ligue 1 side this season.
He’s featured 15 times in the French top flight, playing 90 minutes in all but one game, the 5-0 loss against Paris Saint-Germain at the start of December.
It has been a fast rise for the young defender, too. This time last season, he was on loan at Clermont in Ligue 2, but was recalled to his boyhood club in January. Jacquet has not really looked back since, and his stock has soared.
Some of the Frenchman’s underlying numbers this season show why he is such a highly rated talent.
He offers progression from the back, averaging 18.7 forward passes per 90 minutes, and wins 4.5 duels on average each game, highlighting his defensive ability.
Jacquet – 25/26 Ligue 1 stats
Stat
Per 90 mins
Season total
Forward passes
18.7
276
Aeiral duels won
2
29
Ground duels won
2.5
37
Interceptions
1.1
16
Ball recoveries
4.3
63
Stats from Squawka
The signing of Jacquet could certainly be seen as bad news for Yoro and Heaven.
The pair have been important to Amorim at different stages of his tenure, with the Portuguese boss trusting them at crucial times.
Yoro joined last summer and, after an injury in pre-season, went on to become an important player in Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system.
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He has struggled for form in spells during this season, though. As for Heaven, the 19-year-old switched to United last January from Arsenal.
He hasn’t always been a first-choice under the Portuguese manager, but when he’s got a chance in the side, his performances have been excellent, including the most recent outing against Wolves.
Whilst the two United youngsters have shown they can play important roles at Old Trafford, the signing of Jacquet is arguably bad news for the pair.
He is someone of a similar age profile, competing for what might only be one spot when Matthijs De Ligt is fit, with Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw also options.
The 20-year-old is already a “monster” of a defender according to football scout Antonio Mango. It would be an exciting signing for United, and, at the very least, makes for exciting competition.
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