Could Diego Godin lead Man Utd to the title?

Atletico centre-back has a year left on his contract

Manchester United have already signed Fred this summer, but their business is far from done.

There’s plenty of work to do if they’re going to close the 19-point gap on Manchester City in the new season.

One area in real need of improvement is central defence. Eric Bailly is arguably Jose Mourinho’s only reliable option there, but even he fell out of favour towards the end of last season.

Mourinho has reportedly identified Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin as the man to address the side’s defensive issues. He’s only got a year left on his deal and could be available for as little as £18m.

The Coral News Team have looked at why the veteran could be a very canny addition…

Warrior at the back

Despite being at Old Trafford for two seasons, this United team still has few of the hallmarks of Mourinho’s best sides. They’re too open at the back and don’t seem to have that relentless desire to win. Godin would improve them in both regards.

He’s been Atletico’s defensive lynchpin under Diego Simeone. With Godin at the heart of defence, Atleti have had the best defensive record in La Liga for five of the last six seasons.

The 32-year-old also loves getting stuck in as well. He’s very much a player in Mourinho’s image and willing to engage in the dark arts to get the job done. He’s got a habit of chipping in with key goals from set-pieces too.

Instant impact

United are 6/1 to win the title next term, well behind City, who are clear 8/13 favourites. If United are going to push their rivals for the title, they’ll need to improve significantly in very little time.