Manchester United Audit: Defensive Positions To Address This Transfer Window | OneFootball

As the massive 24-day gap between Manchester United fixtures continues to drag on, now feels like a good time to take stock of the squad’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of a summer of significant transfer activity.

A Summer of Largesse

The Red Devils hope to raise more than £100 million ($130M) through player sales to help fund the rebuild. Marcus Rashford, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Andre Onana and Rasmus Højlund are all set to leave Old Trafford.

The wage bill will shrink further when the contracts of Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia expire in the summer. Up to eight senior players could depart during the window.

United currently sit third in the Premier League and could bank another £50 million ($67M) in ‘Merit Payment’ money if they hold that position until the end of the season.

Challenge: How To Spend Wisely

So where exactly should the Manchester United hierarchy focus their spending? To identify priority positions, we’ve put together a ranking system based on two criteria:

Each position’s starter and back-up is rated on a scale of five, giving a combined maximum score of ten. Lower numbers indicate a greater need to replace/fill the position. A player who is definitely leaving, such as Casemiro, scores a ‘zero’, no matter how good their 2025/26 campaign has been, because they will need to be replaced. Youth players who are full of potential but unproven in the first team automatically receive a two.

The aim is to show where the squad is most deficient. So here we go….

Goalkeeper – 5.5 out of 10

Senne Lammens (3.5 out of 5): Thrown in as first‑choice far earlier than expected after his deadline‑day move from Royal Antwerp in September 2025, the 23‑year‑old Belgian has been a major upgrade in goal. He has all the tools to become world class but is still learning, and a dip in form at some point would be perfectly normal for a keeper of his age.

Radek Vitek (2 out of 5): It’s unclear who will be No.2 next season. Andre Onana is expected to be sold, Altay Bayindir has not taken his chance, while Tom Heaton turns 40 and hasn’t played for the first team since 2023. That leaves 22‑year‑old Czech keeper Radek Vitek, earning rave reviews on loan at Bristol City. He’s full of promise but untested at United’s senior level.

Right‑back – 6.5

Diogo Dalot (3.5): The 27‑year‑old Portugal international is solid, reliable and a mainstay under Michael Carrick, though he still divides opinion among fans who demand more than just stability . In 29 appearances this season he has just three assists, and his shooting is more likely to trouble the crowd than the goalkeeper.

Noussair Mazraoui (3): The Moroccan’s season has been disrupted by injury, illness and the Africa Cup of Nations. He has filled in at both full‑back roles, wing‑back and even centre‑back. His dribbling and passing offer a strong attacking outlet when fit. He’s been the back-up option under Carrick.

Right centre‑back – 7.5

Harry Maguire (4): The 33‑year‑old England international has enjoyed a genuine resurgence during United’s rise to third under Carrick and is set to be rewarded with a new contract. A natural leader and one of the first names on the team sheet.

Matthijs de Ligt (3.5): The former Ajax captain, who played Juventus and Bayern Munich, is strong, dominant in the air and clearly talented, but injuries have hampered his United career. A lower‑back problem has kept him out since November and he has lost his starting spot to Maguire.

Injuries at centre‑back have recently seen Lenny Yoro restored on the right side (with Maguire moving to the left), but the young Frenchman’s form has fluctuated and, when everyone is fit, he sits behind Maguire and De Ligt in the pecking order.

Left centre‑back – 5

Lisandro Martínez (2.5): Aggressive in the tackle and excellent on the ball, his forward passing from deep gives United a completely different dimension.

However, any assessment of the Argentina international comes with the caveat of “when fit”. A terrible run of injuries makes him inconsistent for selection and drags his rating down.

Injury record for Lisandro Martinez. Image: TransferMarkt

Ayden Heaven (2.5): Signed from Arsenal’s youth ranks in February 2025, the highly rated left‑footer was pushed into the first team sooner than expected. The 19‑year‑old is technically sound and composed in possession. He has made 21 appearances, but injuries have limited his impact. Now fit again, he is pushing for a starting role.

Left‑back – 5.5

Luke Shaw (3.5): Another player who usually comes with a “when fit” warning. This season, though, the injury‑plagued 30‑year‑old has started all 31 of United’s Premier League matches.

Used at centre‑back under Ruben Amorim, he is now Carrick’s first‑choice left‑back. Shaw no longer has quite the same thrust going forward but has been a dependable presence. The question is whether he can maintain this level of fitness next season, when European and extra cup fixtures are expected.

Diego Leon (2): With Tyrell Malacia leaving on a free in the summer, Paraguay youngster Diego Leon will be the back‑up left‑back with erstwhile full‑back Patrick Dorgu playing further forward. The powerful, pacy 19‑year‑old arrived from Cerro Porteño in 2025 amid plenty of hype. He is an attacking defender capable of scoring goals and brimming with potential, but he has yet to make his Premier League debut.

Defensive Midfielder – 2

Casemiro (0): Despite producing one of his best campaigns since joining from Real Madrid in 2022, the newly reinstalled Brazil captain will leave Old Trafford this summer when his contract expires. He will need a genuinely world‑class replacement.

Manuel Ugarte (2): Tenacious in the tackle and good at plugging gaps, but the Uruguay international has underwhelmed too often. The 24‑year‑old still has roughly three years left on his deal, yet is expected to be sold in the summer.

The Weak Links

Based on the ratings, the defensive/ball‑winning midfielder role (2/10) is clearly the top priority in the defensive half of the team. Injuries and inexperience also expose the left side of the back line as a weakness, with left‑back at 5.5/10 and left centre‑back at just 5/10.

Later this week we’ll assess the attacking half of the team, from Kobbie Mainoo’s No. 8 role through to centre‑forward. After that, we’ll turn to realistic summer transfer targets to plug the gaps in the squad.

Eight Exits, Big Money, No Margin for Error

All of this underlines the scale of the summer ahead for Manchester United. With up to eight senior players leaving, significant funds to reinvest and clear weaknesses at No. 6 and down the left side of defense, the margin for error is slim. Get the recruitment right and this squad has a platform to push on from a top‑three finish; get it wrong and the rebuild will simply be delayed for another year.