Man Utd should consider Thiago Silva as they weigh up Sergio Ramos move

David Lynch

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Manchester United are reportedly considering a move for Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos should he allow his contract to expire this summer.

The Spaniard is locked in talks over a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu but, with rumours circling that a paycut would be part of the package, an agreement has yet to be reached.

And United are believed to be weighing up a bumper offer that would force the defender to consider a new start in the Premier League.

Of course, with Ramos set to turn 35 before the end of the campaign, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may harbour concerns over whether he would be able to adapt to a new league at this late juncture.

But he need only look at Chelsea and their summer signing Thiago Silva as proof that such moves can be a big success.

The 36-year-old faced similar questions regarding his suitability for the Premier League when he arrived at Stamford Bridge from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

And it seemed like the doubters had a point when he made a disastrous mistake en route to conceding three on his league debut at West Brom.

Thiago Silva’s numbers

However, he has since been a rock for the Blues, and now has the second-highest average FootballCritic rating of any defender in the English top-flight so far this term (7.2).

An aerial duel success rate of 64% is largely consistent with his best form during his trophy-laden stay at PSG, as is his overall 63% duel win rate.

Thiago has also surrendered possession just 6.9 times per 90 – a figure beaten only by Ruben Dias (6.5) and Ezri Konsa (5.4) of all defenders to have played more than 1,000 minutes this season.

That he has averaged 0.17 goal contributions per match (a stat that puts him sixth best in the league among all defenders to play more than 500 minutes) is helpful proof of his impact at both ends of the pitch.

So, if United are indeed considering a move for Ramos ahead of this summer, they should be put off by his advancing years.

As Thiago proves, if you have the quality, age is just a number.