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A look at Manchester United’s current centre-back options shows exactly why INEOS should not ignore the position in the summer.

Matthijs de Ligt, who was their best performer in the first half of the season, has been sidelined since November. There is every chance he will not recover before the current campaign ends.

Lisandro Martinez has also been missing in action for the last five games in a row, even though it was initially claimed the Argentine would only miss one match.

Add to this Harry Maguire’s uncertain future, and the Red Devils only have Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven as their senior defensive options and while both are talented beyond doubt, they remain raw.

Defensive shambles at Old Trafford

Names such as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, and now, journalist Ben Jacobs (via Leeds United News) has thrown a new name into the mix: Charlie Cresswell of Toulouse.

The England U21 international has proven to be a revelation in Ligue 1, starting 24 games on the trot before an untimely hamstring injury earlier this month.

During that time, he has registered four goals and...