Can't play in a back four? Why Man Utd signing Gleison Bremer is a gamble

Carlo Garganese

• 2 Apr 2024 06:57 BST
• 4 min read

According to multiple reports, Manchester United have made Juventus star Gleison Bremer as their number one defensive target for the summer transfer market.

The Red Devils are in the market for at least one top centre-back as a number of their current central defenders are likely to leave in the summer.

The futures of Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans are in doubt as their contracts are expiring, while Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire’s futures are not secure either.

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With 40 Premier League goals conceded - and 15 in six Champions League games - it is clear that Man Utd need to improve their backline if they are to have any chance of closing the gap with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.

On paper, Bremer - who United scouts have watched in person on a number of occasions in recent months - certainly seems to fit the bill perfectly.

The Brazilian was arguably the best defender in Serie A this season until Juventus’ dismal recent run of form which has seen them win just once in their last nine matches.

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Bremer boasts lightning pace, is aggressive, a fantastic presser, and is one of the best defenders in the air in the league. He also reads the game well, intercepting and positioning himself expertly.

Physically, Bremer is a match for any attacker and he memorably even pushed Marcus Thuram - one of Serie A’s strongest players - to the ground in a shoulder-to-shoulder tussle last month.

These are all qualities that will translate perfectly to the intense Premier League where the level of football will move up a notch from what Bremer faces in Serie A.

Bremer also has proven his consistency over a number of seasons.

He was named Serie A Defender of the Year during the 2021-22 season for Torino, with Juventus then beating out the likes of Inter and Liverpool to his signature at the end of that campaign.

However, there is one risk associated with signing Bremer. His breakthrough as a top-class Serie A defender over the past three years has been in a three-man defence.

He has generally been deployed either in the middle or to the left of a three-man centre back pairing.

In this system, Bremer has been a colossus.

However, on the rare occasions Juventus have used a back four, Bremer has struggled.

Max Allegri attempted to use a four-man backline at the start of the 2022-23 season and soon abandoned the plan.

Bremer wasn’t the sole reason for this abandonment but part of the reason for reverting to a 3-5-2 was that the Brazilian - who Juve paid almost €50 million for - was far superior in a three.

Allegri attempted to return to a back four in Juventus' most recent game, a 1-0 defeat in Rome to Lazio. Bremer struggled badly in the first half, although he did improve a bit in the second period.

There’s no reason why Bremer can’t adapt to a back four - he certainly has the qualities to do so - but until now there is little proof of him flourishing in that system.

With Juventus demanding at least €60m to sell Bremer - this is the price of his clause that comes into effect in 2025 - paying such a large amount of money given these circumstances would still be a bit of a calculated risk.