Manchester United are considering competing with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for Juventus centre-half Gleison Bremer this summer.
Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have both been signed over the past several years to fortify the strength of the Red Devils’ backline, and while progress has been made in this regard, manager Erik ten Hag will be looking to strengthen further after reclaiming a place in the Champions League with a top-four finish.
Winning the Carabao Cup and returning to European competition’s pinnacle is undoubtedly a successful starting point, but United still finished 14 points off divisional champions Manchester City, having shipped ten more goals (43) than their city rivals and top four peers Newcastle United (33).
So, Bremer could offer a solution, a formula to provide succour and strength to a defensive regiment in tantalising yearly increments, and according to reports, could join the fold for around £51m if United win the battle for his signature after the Old Lady’s financial jeopardy thrust them cheerlessly into the Europa Conference League with a ten-point deduction.
How would Gleison Bremer perform at Manchester United?
While Juventus technically finished seventh in Serie A this season, the Turin side’s points punishment swiped away their fourth-place in the division – level on points with Inter Milan in third – which would have retained their Champions League spot.
And with just 33 goals conceded all term, only Napoli and Lazio in first and second place could better the steely backline, in which Bremer certainly played a definitive role.
As per Sofascore, the three-cap Brazil international recorded an average rating of 7.11 in the league last season, playing 30 matches, scoring four goals, completing 90% of his passes, averaging 3.8 clearances per game and winning 61% of his aerial battles.
Also keeping 12 clean sheets for his prestigious outfit, it’s no wonder that the “unbelievable” – as hailed by journalist Ryan Taylor – titan is attracting attention from aspiring Premier League sides.
His all-encompassing work would gel very nicely with that of Martinez, who has cemented a regular starting berth at the Theatre of Dreams after his £57m move from Ajax one year ago.
Dubbed “an absolute warrior” by journalist Jon Dunham, the Argentine has swiftly emerged as a fan favourite for his no-nonsense defending and unflinching commitment to rebuffing danger.
As per FBref, the Argentinian menace ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 5% for interceptions and the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90, underscoring his tenacity and paramount importance to Ten Hag’s side.
Bremer, comparatively, brings a forward-thinking approach to complement the ferocious ubiquity of Martinez’s defensive duties, with the £153k-per-week Juve star ranking among the top 8% for goals, the top 5% for touches in the attacking box and the top 19% for aerials won per 90.
Bremer is an “animal” of a colossus – as remarked by Torino’s Mergim Vojvod – and must be brought to Old Trafford to provide Martinez with the perfect partner and craft a whole new sense of dynamism to ensure Manchester United close the distance to the very forefront of the Premier League pack.
