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Rio Ferdinand has picked out two stars he would be keen to see bolster Manchester United's defensive ranks. Harry Maguire will hope that Erik ten Hag blanks the former England centre-back's recommendations, as he fights to earn the manager's trust and work his way back into the starting XI at Old Trafford.
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Ten Hag made a positive impression in 2022/23 - his debut season - by deploying Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane as his starting centre-back partnership. However, injury woes have forced the boss to call on a range of back-up options.
One of which is Maguire, who slipped dramatically down the pecking order last season after being stripped of the captaincy. The 30-year-old is currently enjoying a small renaissance, scoring the winner in United's 1-0 Champions League victory over Copenhagen on Tuesday.
But if Ferdinand has his way, the Red Devils would splash out on Lens star Kevin Danso and Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo - two arrivals that would plunge Maguire's situation back into uncertainty.
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"The boy at Lens, there's one there, he's good," Ferdinand told the Manchester Evening News. "The Uruguayan boy at Barcelona - Araujo. Whether he's gettable or not, I think he's brilliant.
"He's an unreal centre half. He has every attribute to be perfect for the Premier League. I'd probably say he's the standout, but whether he's gettable or not, I don't know."
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Danso, a versatile 6ft 3in defender, came through the ranks at Augsburg and spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Southampton. The 25-year-old has taken his career to another level since arriving at Lens two years ago, becoming a mainstay in central defence and helping them to qualify for this season's Champions League.
Araujo, meanwhile, is now into his fourth season as a Barcelona regular. It remains to be seen whether United have the financial manoeuvrability to tempt the Uruguayan, who has a reported transfer value of £61million.
"I've always said this - to be a successful team, you need that foundation of a solid defence and to be able to pick similar players," Ferdinand continued.
"I think you look at the teams that have won recently - Liverpool and Man City - they've had consistency in their backlines of players featuring, especially in important stages of the season. And maybe United haven't been afforded that."