Brazil defender Gleison Bremer could be exactly what Manchester United need to take the next step as they seek to make improvements on the season just passed.
Erik ten Hag enjoyed a relatively successful first season in charge of Manchester United after his move from Dutch giants Ajax last summer.
The 53-year-old tactician won the League Cup by beating Newcastle United in the final at Wembley earlier this year and qualified for the Champions League with a third-placed finish in the Premier League.
He now has an opportunity to bolster his squad in the summer transfer window with a view to achieving greater success – hopefully in the form of more silverware next season.
One area in which the Dutchman is seemingly interested in strengthening is in the heart of his defence. Calcio Mercato recently reported that the club are keen on Juventus ace Bremer, who would cost at least €60m (£51m).
Who is Gleison Bremer?
The 26-year-old centre-back has been an excellent performer in Serie A and someone who could be an outstanding addition to United's squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
He could be a dream upgrade on current defender Raphael Varane based on their respective performances last term, and that is why Ten Hag must push to complete a deal for the Brazilian ace.
Bremer averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 across 30 league outings for Juventus in 2022/23 and showcased his defensive quality with 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game, alongside 1.63 blocks per 90.
Varane, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 across 24 Premier League matches and made 1.5 tackles and interceptions per outing to go along with 1.05 blocks per 90.
These statistics indicate that the Serie A battler has the ability to perform at a higher level on a consistent basis whilst being able to make more vital defensive interventions to stop opposition attacks each game.
Whilst the obvious emphasis is – and should be – on their ability to prevent goals, Bremer would also come in and provide a threat at the top end of the pitch.
The Juventus titan, who was once hailed as "unbelievable" by journalist Ryan Taylor, ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs across the Men's top five Leagues and European competitions for non-penalty expected goals (npxG) and expected assisted goals (xAG) combined per 90 (0.20) over the last 365 days.
He ended the 2022/23 campaign with 4.9 xG and 1.7 xAG, which resulted in four goals and one assist, and could offer far more than Varane, who was not directly involved in any league goals for United last term, while averaging just 0.05 combined non-penalty xG and xAG per 90 over the last 365 days.
Therefore, Bremer could be a big upgrade on the current United stopper in terms of the level of quality the 26-year-old talent is able to provide in both boxes.