Manchester United have bigger priorities than signing a new centre-back this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Red Devils have been linked with a number of central defenders, but Sheth has revealed that bringing one over to Old Trafford is not their main focus right now.

What's going on at Man United?

New manager Erik ten Hag wanted Jurrien Timber to follow him from Ajax to United. However, the young defender is expected to reject a move to England this summer as he feels it is too big a risk to switch clubs just five months before the World Cup.

Meanwhile, the 13-time Premier League champions have also shown an interest in Villarreal's Pau Torres, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently told GIVEMESPORT that there have been conversations behind-the-scenes about the 25-year-old.

Meanwhile, United are also keen on Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, and Ajax attacker Antony.

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What has Sheth said about United's transfer plans?

United may have their eye on multiple defensive options, but Sheth has claimed that their bigger priorities are adding a holding midfielder and a forward to their squad.

Speaking about the club signing a defender, he told GIVEMESPORT: “It’s their third priority. And some Man United fans might be surprised that it is that far down the priority list, the position of central defender. Yes, they are looking at players in that position, but simply because of the number of players that they do have currently in that squad, you’ve got Phil Jones, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly.

“Just purely because of the numbers, that’s why that priority might be further down. Manchester United fans and other fans can argue as much as they want about whether the quality is there to take United forward, but the fact of the matter is, these players are on contracts and it’s very difficult to offload players on contracts and bring other players in. That’s not to say they’re not looking.”

Should United be prioritising a new central defender?

There is certainly a case that they should be.

Last term, United conceded 57 top-flight goals as they endured a wretched campaign that saw them finish outside the top four. By comparison, they shipped 13 fewer league goals in the 2020/21 season.

Sheth has named five centre-backs that are still on United's books, but Jones and Bailly only made five league starts between them last season, and it looks like they are no longer trusted.

Therefore, the majority of the burden has been placed on Varane, Maguire and Lindelof, with none of the trio looking overly-convincing over the past 12 months.

United's midfield woes have been well-documented in recent years, so it is understandable as to why they are going after de Jong to try to fix this issue.

However, their defence is also becoming a major problem, and Ten Hag should be looking to address this as soon as possible.