Man United’s new £37m defender ‘too slow’, according to Hargreaves

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes that the club’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels is a poor one.

The German World Cup winner is expected to sign for United in the summer after a deal in principle worth £37m was agreed over the January transfer window.

However, Hargreaves believes that the Dortmund centre-back is not the right man to sure up Louis van Gaal’s defence.

“He’s a super, super ball-playing centre-back but I don’t think he can defend, he’s too slow,” he told BT Sport.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder the compared Hummels to former German great Franz Beckenbauer but debated whether or not that was the player United really need at the moment.

“He’s Franz Beckenbauer, the new version, a super passer but I think that if I’m Manchester United I want Vidic, I want Kompany.

“I think he’s a nice football player, he’s easy on the eye, but United need somebody physical, a presence.

“He’s the captain of Borussia Dortmund, they’re last in the Bundesliga. Is that the measuring stick for Manchester United? I’m not so sure.”