"He's an unreal centre half" - Rio Ferdinand names two defenders who should be on Manchester United's radar to bolster squad

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has identified two defenders who should be on the Red Devils' radar to bolster their squad this season. The Englishman highlighted Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo and RC Lens star Kevin Danso as two players who would improve Erik ten Hag's side in defence.

It wouldn't be far-fetched to say Manchester United have regressed significantly at the back this season. The Red Devils kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League last season (17) but have been struggling to keep goals away since the current campaign kicked off.

So far, they've conceded 13 goals in just nine league games this term. They've also conceded a whopping seven goals in three Champions League games, bringing their overall numbers to 20 goals conceded across all competitions.

With the transfer window set to reopen in the winter, Manchester United are reportedly already looking at reinforcement options. In line with that, Rio Ferdinand has urged them to look at Barcelona's Ronald Araujo and RC Lens's Danso.

"The boy at Lens, there's one there, he's good," Ferdinand told the Manchester Evening News. "The Uruguayan boy at Barcelona - Araujo. Whether he's gettable or not, I think he's brilliant. He's an unreal centre half.

"He has every attribute to be perfect for the Premier League. I'd probably say he's the standout, but whether he's gettable or not, I don't know," the Englishman added.

It is worth noting that Erik ten Hag has encountered hurdles in his backline in recent months, with Raphael Varane becoming injury-prone and Lisansdro Martinez currently sidelined until late November due to a metatarsal injury.

Rio Ferdinand believes those setbacks have contributed to the club's struggles this term.

"I've always said this - to be a successful team, you need that foundation of a solid defence and to be able to pick similar players," he continued.

"I think you look at the teams that have won recently - Liverpool and Man City - they've had consistency in their backlines of players featuring, especially in important stages of the season. And maybe United haven't been afforded that.

"But Martinez has been a huge, huge loss. His personality, his character, his ability on the ball has been exactly what ten Hag wants and United were at their best last season when those two were playing together.

"But, again, with every person who falls away and gets injured, there's an opportunity for someone else and at the moment, Harry Maguire seems to have that shirt. Hopefully that form continues now," added the former Manchester United centre-back.

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What's next for Manchester United?

Following their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, Manchester United will now switch their focus to the Premier League this weekend. The Red Devils have another important fixture, with Manchester City set to pay them a visit at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Erik ten Hag's men will have a massive task surmounting the English champions, but they'll be hoping to capitalize on the advantage of playing at their home stadium. It remains to be seen if they can make a statement with their performance on Sunday.

As it stands, the Red Devils occupy the eighth spot in the league table with 15 points in nine games. They've recorded five victories and four defeats to their name in the English top flight so far.