Who is Man Utd transfer target David Carmo?

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:47 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to try to solve his long-standing issues at centre-back by signing Braga’s David Carmo.

The defender is being linked to the club by ESPN, having previously seen Roma and Fiorentina take an interest in his services.

The deal is very much in its formative stages, according to reports, and in order for any concrete movement to occur either Phil Jones or Marcos Rojo will have to depart Old Trafford.

But who is the rising star and what type of player is he?

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David Carmo: Braga’s rising defensive star

David Carmo, who turned 21 in July, made his first-team debut for Braga in January. That arrived after a long and rather disjointed youth career, in which he played for six different clubs in six years before finally settling at Braga in 2015.

He was introduced into the reserve team in 2018 and won caps for the Portugal Under-19 side that became European champions at their age group that year. Carmo started a thrilling final against Italy, which his side claimed 4-3 after extra-time. Among his team-mates were Diogo Jota and Trincao, now of Liverpool and Barcelona respectively, while he went head-to-head with PSG striker Moise Kean in that match.

Carmo’s Braga career

He made his senior bow, meanwhile, earlier this year when he feature as a second-half substitute against Porto on January 17. It proved to be a memorable match. Although he conceded a penalty that was saved, Braga won 2-1.

Since breaking into the team, heh as become something of a mainstay. This season, for example, he has played every minute in which he has been available in both the league and Europa League. He has not, however, featured since late October since he was sent off against Vitoria Guimaraes.

What type of defender is Carmo?

Standing at 6ft 5in, David Carmo is a hard player to miss. He is an imposing presence in the heart of the defence and unsurprisingly is impressive in the air. Additionally, he is a formidable tackler and strong when making last-ditch interventions.

Perhaps the surprising aspect of his play, though, is his comfort on the ball. The left footer likes to be involved in the build up and is especially able when playing long passes forward. He is the archetypal ball-playing defender.

He does, however, have weaknesses. The most notable of these is a lack of mobility against quick forwards. He can be beaten by a sharp sprint, especially when he is not already moving at pace. His acceleration is, therefore, an area of the game that is need of development.

Nevertheless, he is a player who is not only rapidly improving but currently performing to a high standard. Indeed, among centre-backs in the Portuguese top flight this season, he has been a match for anyone and rates alongside Porto’s Pepe as being one of the outstanding players in the league in his role.