Man Utd have reportedly made Braga centre-back David Carmo an alternative option should they not sign Jurrien Timber from Ajax this summer.
Erik ten Hag has reportedly made Timber his top target as a centre-back this summer while trying to improve the leaky defense of Man Utd, who conceded eighth most goals in the Premier League last season.
It’s likely the new defender will compete with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane for a spot on the team that Eric Bailly and Phil Jones are likely to leave in the summer.
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Man Utd have a backup plan should their bid to sign Timber fall through with the Manchester evening news claim that the Red Devils have held talks with Carmo.
Timber is still Ten Hag’s ‘preferred choice’ as he looks to bring in a new centre-back this summer but Man Utd have ‘held two rounds of talks with Braga centre-back representatives’.
Carmo, who was called up to the Portugal national team for the first time last week, is “viewed as a fallback option” if anything goes wrong with the potential Timber deal.
Timber questioned a potential Man Utd transfer this week as he admitted he would rather stay at Ajax unless he was first choice at a ‘big club’.
said the Ajax defender: “In the end, my gut feeling decides. The picture has to be right.
“You can go to a big club. But if you don’t play there, it’s better to stay at Ajax. And Ajax is also a big club. We play football in the Champions League and I play there with the best players in the Netherlands. That’s not nothing.
“Of course I can develop further [at Ajax]. I’m 100 percent sure of that. I don’t feel like I’m done with the club. But I can also develop at other clubs.
“I am now concentrating on the upcoming international matches and then going on vacation. Then I have to think about it a bit more.”
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