Manchester United will be grateful the international break has arrived when it did, as they are going through a difficult stage under the leadership of Erik ten Hag.
Having secured a top-four finish in the Premier League last season – ensuring Champions League football in the process – along with winning the Carabao Cup, it appeared as though Ten Hag was finally the right man in charge at Old Trafford to return the Red Devils to the summit of English football.
However, it looks as though second-season syndrome has struck the Dutchman and while he hasn’t been helped with injuries to key players or missing out on some transfer targets, he still has a strong enough squad to be doing better.
United have lost four of their eight league matches thus far, while losing their opening two Champions League group games and things will need to be turned around in swift fashion if they want to play European football beyond Christmas.
Rasmus Hojlund has scored three goals in these two Champions League matches, but none in the Premier League so far, while fellow summer signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount haven’t exactly been spellbinding either.
Defensively, United have been poor, conceding 19 goals in all competitions so far this term, including two or more in six of these games.
Ten Hag hasn’t been helped by still having to rely on Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, and he should be looking to offload them as soon as possible.
How have Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof performed for Man Utd?
Maguire saw a move to West Ham United collapse during the summer transfer window, preferring to remain and fight for his place in Manchester, while Lindelof is out of contract at the end of the current season and his seven-year spell at United could soon be over, especially if Ten Hag has his way.
The Swede has featured in all but one of United’s fixtures this term while Maguire has made only four appearances, including just two starts, yet their performances haven’t exactly been wonderful.
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Both Lindelof and Maguire rank outside the top five across the United squad with regard to league stats for tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, and it's clear that the duo are underperforming when it comes to these key defensive metrics.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers, the Englishman fails to rank in the top 35% with regard to tackles (1.11), interceptions (1.2) and clearances (4.07) per 90, while Lindelof fails to even rank in the top 60% when compared to positional peers for the very same metrics, proving that they are not at the required standard for the current regime at United.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, Ten Hag will be hoping to add a defender or two to his senior squad, yet much of this might depend on who he could offload first.
Maguire and Lindelof are clearly the two frontrunners in terms of being sold, and it appears United are keen on a duo who are shining in Portugal – Antonio Silva and Goncalo Inacio.
Who could Man Utd sign in January?
According to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness), United are extremely keen on bringing both Inacio from Sporting CP and Silva from Benfica to Manchester in the coming months with the report even claiming that the Red Devils have been ‘attentive’ to both players over the course of the previous few months.
The Dutchman couldn’t spend as much during the summer transfer window as he would’ve liked, meaning he missed out on several targets and with the Portuguese giants clearly not letting their players leave unless their release clauses are met, it could be a case of Deja Vue.
Indeed, the report states that Silva could potentially cost €120m (£104m) and while Inacio would cost slightly less at €60m (£52m), the £156m fee for both may prove to be far too much for Ten Hag to splash out in one window for just two players, especially in January.
They would be worthwhile purchases however, especially with United’s leaky defence and the duo should be top of Ten Hag’s list in terms of potential new signings.
How good are Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva?
Inacio has already gained three caps for Portugal – scoring twice in these games – while making 132 appearances for Sporting, and he has only turned 22 in August, indicating a bright future.
The defender would be an excellent fit for Ten Hag and his style of play as he currently ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (8.84) and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90 (2.01) when compared to positional peers, showing how often he likes to get forward during games.
Silva is three years younger than Inacio, yet has made over 50 appearances for Benfica while even gaining five caps for Portugal since making his debut in 2022, and he even featured at the World Cup last year, proving he is one of the finest young defenders in the country.
While he doesn’t quite have the same forward-thinking qualities that Inacio has, Silva more than makes up for this with his strength in the tackle and while compared to positional peers, he ranks in the top 7% for tackles per 90 (2.2) along with ranking in the top 1% for pass success rate per 90 (91.7%) and these are attractive qualities no doubt about it.
The talented duo could forge a strong partnership at the heart of the United defence for the foreseeable future, especially with their respective strengths.
Inacio would move the ball forward from the back often, starting attacks from the defence, while Silva would offer more in the tackle and would rarely misplace a pass, offering a comfortable presence alongside the current Sporting centre-back.
Ten Hag needs to totally revamp his defence and making moves for both Silva and Inacio, whether it's January or next summer, should be integral to how successful the former Ajax manager becomes at United.