Man Utd’s main Guehi threat revealed – and it’s not Liverpool

Robin Bairner

• 6 Mar 2024 04:56 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester United’s hunt for a centre-back is likely to lead them to Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, but the 23-year-old would be better served moving to another Premier League club that is interested in him.

Palace are braced for interest in the nine-time capped England international in the summer. The London side are expectant of a price tag in the region of €58 million (£59m) for the defender.

The interest in the player is substantial. As well as Man Utd, Liverpool are following Guehi as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk, but Tottenham have been monitoring his progress too and are better placed to move for him.

Using the Career Advice algorithm of SciSports, experts in data analytics, this shows that Spurs are the optimum club for Guehi to progress his game.

Guehi’s best choice

Ange Postecoglou’s men get a Club Fit score, a figure reached by looking at various aspects of a team from potential development opportunities through to playing time, style and formation, of 82.

This is marginally better than Man Utd’s 81. Liverpool, meanwhile, are way back on 72, largely because of a concern of a lack of predicted game time.

Spurs have the edge on United due to the playing opportunities they could offer Guehi, yet the defender’s decision is not clear cut.

The Old Trafford side can offer better development opportunities to him, SciSports reports.

One key element could be Champions League football. Fifth in the standings, Spurs could yet secure that luxury but the Red Devils, only one place back but six points distant having played a game more, are unlikely to make that grade.

Could this be a decisive factor? Perhaps.

Nevertheless, the draw of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s now project at Man Utd is an exciting one, and with little to pick between the Red Devils and Spurs, might just be the crucial influence in getting Guehi to plump for Old Trafford.