United have clear centre-back transfer plan - and it doesn't include Romero

There is strength in the air and combative defenders in the duel, two left-footed options, and a blend of line-breaking passers and those who can carry the ball out of defence. It seems like every box is ticked.

The problem is that the game isn't played on paper, and getting United's five centre-back options on the pitch is proving considerably more difficult, posing something of a dilemma heading into next season.

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To get it, it's a simple one-two punch.

Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are the five options at Michael Carrick's disposal, and if they are all available, that is enough strength in depth to get through a campaign when you could be fighting on four fronts.

But the likelihood of all of them being available is slim. They won't even start the season all fighting fit, with De Ligt still in rehabilitation after back surgery in May, meaning his absence will likely stretch to 10 months.

Let's take them in order and consider the risks associated with each. At 33, Maguire has just signed a one-year extension with the option for a further 12 months. He was outstanding under Michael Carrick in the second half of last season.

But as you would expect of a player of that age, Maguire has started to struggle with injuries. He missed 10 games through two separate injury problems last year, but was unavailable for more than 15 games the year before with four different issues. That is a concern, but it should be manageable for someone with that experience.

Martinez is arguably the biggest problem. He makes United better with his ability on the ball in defence and his relish of one-on-one defending, but serious injuries have blighted his four years at Old Trafford. He has started 65 out of 152 Premier League games since he joined the club from Ajax.

De Ligt was beginning to look like the elite-level centre-back everyone expected him to develop into at the start of last season. He was an ever-present until the end of November and looked to be rediscovering the form that convinced Juventus to pay €75m when he was 19.

But that back injury has derailed his momentum. He resisted the idea of surgery in a bid to return before the end of the season and force his way into the Netherlands' World Cup squad, but had to admit defeat and go under the knife. He hopes that will solve the problems once and for all and allow him a fresh start early next season.

A knee injury and a foot injury meant De Ligt missed eight games in his first season at United, but he is still only 26 and has time to prove his fitness issues aren't going to be a recurring problem.

Yoro and Heaven don't have the same concerns. The 20-year-old Frenchman was available for 37 of United's 38 Premier League games last season and his challenge is finding the consistency in performances that made him one of the most highly-rated teenagers in Europe when United beat Real Madrid to his signature.

Heaven, 19, has delivered some eye-catching displays since joining from Arsenal 18 months ago and that £1.5million transfer fee looks like a bargain. He is waiting in the wings for more game time.

Those five centre-backs cost United around £235million and collectively around £650,000-a-week. For an elite club, those figures should be enough to field an excellent central defensive partnership.

As people in the industry often say though, you need the money on the pitch, and that is the problem for United. Martinez, 28, and De Ligt, 26, should be their starting centre-backs, but they have played together so little due to injuries.

The figures quoted above are why United are reluctant to enter the market for a centre-back this summer. If those five do stay fit, it would also stunt the development of Yoro and Heaven. Although they have been linked with Tottenham duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, there are no plans to sign a central defender at the moment.

United's budget this summer is focused heavily on the midfield, while a left-back is also a must. They could also move for a winger and add a forward if Joshua Zirkzee leaves.

The only way a defender could arrive is if someone is sold, but those injury concerns rule that out. Instead, next summer is the time to look for an elite-level centre-back. Maguire could leave on a free transfer then, and Martinez is also out of contract at the end of the season.

If the Argentine endures another injury-hit campaign, the time will have come to cut ties. De Ligt's situation will also be assessed in the summer of 2027.

Having overhauled the attack last summer and with the aim of doing the same in midfield this year, 2027 could be the year of the defence. For now, United will hope their five options for this season can deliver on the pitch what they look capable of on paper.

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