The impressive reason why Man Utd should buy £29.5m Dortmund defender

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Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has been linked with Manchester United and Barcelona this season.

German international centre back Mats Hummels is one of the best in the business and has repeatedly been linked with a move to Barcelona as Carles Puyol’s successor.

The 25-year-old joined Dortmund in a €4m deal from title-rivals Bayern Munich after failing to establish himself despite coming through the Munich youth academy with huge promise.

Bayern’s loss was Dortmund’s gain as Jurgen Klopp paired defender Neven Subotic with Hummels to unimaginable success. The duo helped Dortmund win successive Bundesliga titles, a highly entertaining DFB-Pokal championship final against Bayern Munich and a memorable Champions league run.

Unfortunately for Dortmund, the star’s success has brought plenty of attention from both Barcelona and Manchester United – with the defender once admitting that a move to the Nou Camp would interest him.

It has been reported by The Express in the past that Mats Hummels has a £29.5m release clause in his contract – a tempting figure for Europe’s finest and one which Manchester United simply have to trigger.

The Dortmund defender has been a massive loss when not involved this season – demonstrated perfectly by OptaFranz statistics. The renowned statisticians have reportedly discovered that BVB have won a massive 82% of their games with Hummels involved in the starting XI, compared to just 25% without him.

Along with Hummels’ positioning, composure and tackling abilities the stats prove he has a winning mentality – a trait which seems to have been forgotten at Old Trafford this season.

Manchester United’s defence has been problematic all season. The Red Devils have struggled to maintain the high standards set in previous seasons – including the once ever reliable backline.

The aura around the once intimidating duo of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic seems to have diminished and the defenders are set for Old Trafford departures this summer – with both embarking on new adventures.

The Red Devils have been linked with Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala and Cagliari’s Davide Astori as possible long-term replacements, yet neither have the presence and winning mentality of Matt Hummel’s.

As a result of Bayern Munich’s dominance deflating their competitors, United should do all they can to tempt the German rock with an exciting new challenge in the Premier League.