Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United have 'enough centre-backs' amidst transfer speculation
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has effectively ruled out the signing of another centre-back this summer after his side's dramatic 3-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Red Devils endured a pulsating fixture against the Seagulls at the AMEX Stadium which saw two goals scored in the dying moments of the game. Defensive lapses from Manchester United saw them concede two goals either side of their strikes in regulation time before a late penalty from Bruno Fernandes sealed the game.
With their defensive woes still very much prevalent in the 2020/21 campaign, Manchester United have been linked with a plethora of defenders. However, their manager believes that they do not require any further reinforcements in this area.
Manchester United have 'enough' centre-backs, says Solskjaer
Speaking on his side's defensive troubles after their thrilling win against Brighton, Manchester United boss Solskjaer explained;
"We've got many defenders here and I put Eric [Bailly] on to bolster the defence, following the runs of [Leandro] Trossard and [Neal] Maupay. For me, we've got enough good centre-backs here at the moment. When you concede chances and concede goals, there are two different things you can look at - it's either the team shape, or are there any individual mistakes."
The former Norwegian striker cited a lack of match sharpness as the primary reason for his side's troubles at the back. Solskjaer continued,
"We're not in our best shape of form, our shape isn't there, we're not sharp enough to stop crosses or follow the runs. We're a little bit behind, that's more structural mistakes than individual mistakes. I thought Victor [Lindelof] did well today."
The Swedish international has come under immense criticism for his defensive errors in Manchester United's shocking 3-1 loss at Old Trafford to Crystal Palace. Their season opener was marred by errors from Lindelof, leading to calls for Eric Bailly to start over him.
Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for FC Porto star Alex Telles in recent times, with multiple reports suggesting that a deal could potentially be reached for a fee of £18.5m.
The Brazilian is into the final year of his contract, and the Portuguese champions could look to cash in on their star man as they risk losing him for free.
The Red Devils have also been linked with a host of centre-halves such as the likes of Dayot Upamecano, Pau Torres, Milan Skriniar, and others. However, there have been no substantial reports suggesting that they will strengthen this area of the pitch this summer.
Also read: Manchester United rejected opportunity to sign £27m-rated Eintracht Frankfurt star Filip Kostic