Todibo, Pavard or Tapsoba? Man Utd's best Maguire replacement is OBVIOUS

Suraj Radia

10 Aug 2023 15:14 BST
4 min read

Harry Maguire, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © ProShots

Manchester United have three players on their shortlist to replace Harry Maguire, with Erik ten Hag set to make a choice between Jean-Clair Todibo, Benjamin Pavard and Edmond Tapsoba.

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Maguire is in talks to join West Ham after they agreed a £30 million fee with United to sign the 30-year-old and end his turbulent four-year spell at Old Trafford.

Todibo is understood to be Ten Hag’s ideal choice, however Nice have put a price tag in excess of £35m for their star defender, who has four years remaining on his contract.

EXCLUSIVE: Man Utd edge towards preferred target after learning asking prices

Pavard is seen as a more affordable option at a rumoured price of less than £30m, due to Frenchman entering the last year of his contract at Bayern Munich.

Tapsoba, meanwhile is admired by Ten Hag but could represent the most costly option of the trio, with Bayer Leverkusen unwilling to sell and likely to demand more than £40m.

While United may consider other options, Todibo and Pavard in particular are have been monitored for a significant period of time in anticipation of Maguire’s exit and talks are underway with both players – but which defender should Ten Hag sign to take his side to the next level?

Todibo vs Pavard vs Tapsoba – who wins?

All three players are considered to be at a similar level according to SciSports analytics, which uses data-driven statistics to give a representation of a player’s attributes, strengths and weaknesses.

However, SciSports’ developmental analysis indicates that Pavard is currently the superior player of the three, although the 27-year-old is three years older than Tapsoba and four years Todibo’s senior, with the trio having a similar potential ability.

© ProShots - The developmental projection for Man Utd's transfer targets

Pavard has spent the majority of his game time playing at right-back and, while his versatility would make him a more appealing option to Ten Hag, the World Cup winner is hoping to join a club where he will be used as a centre-back.

Ten Hag’s eventual target is expected to feature as a ball-playing defender, a role which all three players specialise in and Pavard is considered to have the strongest passing ability ahead of Tapsoba.

However, with Bayern Munich being the most superior team, Pavard’s defensive stats will likely need the context of playing for the Bundesliga champions who conceded the joint-least amount of goals in the league.

© ProShots - The statistical comparison between Todibo, Pavard and Tapsoba

Todibo’s Nice also conceded just 37 goals in 38 games in Ligue 1 last season and the 23-year-old boasts the best defensive positioning out of the three players, as well as the strongest ball retention ability.

Tapsoba is seen as the best dribbler but his strengths lie more with his ability with the ball at his feet instead of his defensive capabilities, despite still being one of the top centre-backs in Germany.

Ultimately Ten Hag’s choice is more likely to come down to price and availability rather than identifying the best player, with each option having different strengths and weaknesses.

PAYOFF: Man Utd set to fork out £10m to get rid of Maguire

However, Pavard’s pedigree, versatility and under-value asking price would lend him the best chance of replacing Maguire and leading United into a new era.