5 players who can replace Rio Ferdinand at Manchester United

3. Eliaquim Mangala

Mangala has gained the attention of all of Europe’s elite

The Frenchman is one of the best young defenders in the world right now and has caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. The 22-year-old is extremely athletic which is a big advantage as he uses his speed and strength to dispossess his opponents.

The youngster has been compared to his countryman and national team defense partner Mamadou Sakho but in my opinion Mangala is the better of the two players. The Porto defender can be relied upon in important matches, a fact that was seen in the match against rivals Benfica in his first season where he scored the equalizing goal in a 2-2 draw.

The France international has hit 4 goals in 23 appearances for Porto this season which is brilliant for a center back. Manchester United can have a great asset in Mangala if they manage to acquire his services.

Porto players have a history of being expensive and the club have continued their tradition by slapping a £40 million price tag on the center back but the Red Devils should be able to tempt him to join their ranks quite easily as Mangala would certainly want to test his skills in the Premier League.

2. Ezequiel Garay

Garay has been heavily linked to Manchester United

The Argentine defender almost joined Manchester United in the summer, but the move was cancelled by David Moyes. The Scot must be regretting his decision now as he was spotted scouting Benfica’s game versus Porto recently.

Garay is one of the best defenders in the world and is currently having the season of his life at Benfica where he has a pass accuracy of 85% in the Champions League. The 26-year-old is excellent with his positioning and tackling making him just the player the Red Devils need if the want to stop conceding goals.

Napoli are also interested in acquiring Garay’s services making it tough for United to capture the defender. The defender is used to playing at the highest level after spending some time at Real Madrid so the pressure of playing for a big club should be easy for him to handle. Garay’s worth is sure to go up after the World Cup so Manchester United must secure his services as soon as possible.

1. Mats Hummels

Hummels is one of the best defenders on the planet

Manchester United and David Moyes will pull off a coup if they manage to capture Hummels. The 25-year-old has been brilliant for Borussia Dortmund since he joined their ranks from Bayern Munich in 2009 and has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world.

The German international played in all of the matches in Germany’s Euro 2012 campaign, where he was one of the best players of the tournament. Hummels has immense strength along with having a knack for making goal saving interceptions which would make him ideal for the Red Devils.

The defender’s price will certainly sky rocket after the World Cup so United must get him before that or risk paying a kings ransom which would frankly be worth it for such a player.

Hummels has a technique which is similar to the legendary German defender Franz Beckenbauer, who was one of best players to ever put on a Germany shirt. Ferdinand will leave big boots to fill at Manchester United and Hummels will surely hit the ground running in England. I won’t be surprised if Moyes breaks the transfer record for a defender, much like Sir Alex did for Rio Ferdinand, to secure Hummels’s services.