Man Utd: Tobido will be Maguire upgrade in EVERY sense
Jacque Talbot
- 25 Aug 2023 12:00 CDT
- 4 min read
Harry Maguire’s contractual wage issues mean that Manchester United will have trouble moving him on, even though Erik ten Hag earmarked the defender to leave as far back as last summer.
There is an outside chance that Maguire does accept the compensation package Man Utd had set, as he wants regular game-time to help with his chances of playing in the England squad for next summer’s European Championships.
Erik ten Hag has a string of targets to fill the position if Maguire was to leave - most prominent among that list of names is Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Man Utd target Todibo remains top priority but Ten Hag faces Amrabat problem
The 23-year-old will be available for around £35million, FootballTransfers has learnt - near enough to the amount that Man Utd are asking for Maguire.
Maguire - who is the world’s second most expensive centre-back - enjoyed some decent spells at Man Utd, but ultimately his hefty price tag and lack of agility meant that he was a man playing slightly past his time.
If Ten Hag was able to bring in Tobido, he would be getting a significant upgrade on the side he had last season.
Todibo’s comfort switching in and out of possession makes him an excellent fit for Ten Hag’si dea of wanting the Red Devils to be the best transition team in the world.
Todibo beats Maguire in every metric
Todibo’s strength and athleticism make him a good defender in one vs. one situations - and he is comfortable defending in wide areas. With 1.29 dribblers tackled, 1.51 tackles won and 7.78 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, he is also very adept at stepping into challenges high up the pitch. Compare this to Maguire’s 0.47 dribblers tackled, 0.70 tackles won and 6.45 ball recoveries and you can see how the Frenchman would be an instant upgrade for Man Utd.
Once he wins the ball, Todibo can also quickly turn defence into attack - offering an offensive edge to his game. Maguire is not a bad ball carrier, by any means - but Todibo’s 0.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes compared to Maguire’s 0.23, combined with a higher carrying distance, makes him stand out in comparison.
Maguire is known for his ball-playing ability, but even this would be upgraded with the possible acquisition of Tobido. The youngster attempted an impressive 68 passes per 90 minutes at an 88.5% completion rate, which also eclipses Maguire's 57.6 passes per 90 minutes at an 85.1% success.
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More importantly, Todibo’s 4.8 progressive passes and 4.3 passes into the final third per 90 last season are also higher than Maguire’s numbers. But one factor is troubling - Lisandro Martinez remains poor when winning aerial duels, in the 0.10 percentile. With Raphael Varane, it’s not so bad, but both Maguire and Todibo have poor numbers when it comes to winning headers, though the Frenchman’s 57.4% aerial win rate is still higher than Maguire’s 53.2%.
