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Noah Piltie

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Journalist & Aspiring Analyst

Noah is pursuing a bachelor's degree in journalism with aspirations of working in football media. Inspired by Erik ten Hag, Luis Enrique and Xabi Alonso, Noah takes a keen interest in the tactical side of the game. Noah leads Roundtable’s coverage of Ajax, and he also covers Manchester United.
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Man Utd Need To Spend Big On A Centre-Back

A third midfielder is currently United's top priority, but after United complete the midfield rebuild, a new centre-back has to be the club's biggest priority. Reports claim that United don't actually plan to recruit a new centre-back this summer, but in terms of quality, it's one of the weakest positions in United's squad. Matthijs de Ligt has not played since November and will not return until autumn, as per various reports. He has had numerous injuries throughout his career and isn't reliable. The same goes for Lisandro Martinez. He has not played much football since suffering that injury vs Sevilla in his first season and has now had multiple long-term injuries. He is a world-class ballplayer, but isn't the most reliable defensively. He also isn't the most athletic and doesn't have an aerial presence, which is a problem given the profiles United have in midfield. Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are both immense talents, but have a lot of developing to do. Harry Maguire is a reliable squad player and brings leadership to the table, but is at the back end of his career now. Including the option to extend for a further year, Martinez has two years left on his contract. He has just had a good World Cup campaign. United should sell now and reinvest that money in a centre-back that better suits what United need. The current options at centre-back are not good enough to challenge for major honours. It should be a bigger priority than any attacking position, and it should be a bigger priority than left-back.
Jul 29, 2026
Man Utd Roundtable