According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester United's defensive issues have been highlighted, with Leny Yoro and Aïden Heaven still some way off becoming the club's future centre-back pairing.

Few players in the past decade have faced as much scrutiny wearing a Manchester United shirt as Harry Maguire. The centre-back became the target of fan frustration and was eventually stripped of the captaincy. His signing was nearly a failed transfer due to its high cost.

However, after recovering from that difficult period, the England international has regained the fans' trust and has become one of Manchester United's most consistent performers, particularly under Carrick's management. Since Carrick's return to Old Trafford, Maguire's performances have earned him a new contract. It is somewhat unfortunate that he missed out on the World Cup this summer.

Today, Maguire may be more of a leader than he was as captain, which explains why expectations have grown for the young pairing when he speaks of Leny Yoro and Aïden Heaven as future partners.

Maguire told Sky Sports in August: "Hopefully in five or six years' time, Leny Yoro, Aïden Heaven and Dan Ammer will be competing for places and playing together in this team. That's what I want to see. They have the qualities and potential to do that.

"They're young, but they're learning to play under scrutiny and analysis as intense as anyone could imagine, and they'll only get stronger. I hope one day they can become the club's primary centre-back partnership and win the biggest trophies. I hope they can become the strongest centre-back pairing in world football. That's what they need to aim for."

Both Leny Yoro and Aïden Heaven have shown some promise. Yoro was dubbed the "next Varane" before his move to Old Trafford—a comparison that may not be entirely fair, but there are similarities between the two. Meanwhile, Heaven has impressed on several occasions, leaving many to wonder why Arsenal didn't give him more opportunities.

However, to date, neither player has demonstrated consistent performances at this stage of their careers. At 20, Yoro and 19, Heaven still have time, and it would be premature to judge them harshly. That said, Manchester United is in a somewhat difficult position, as they need their younger players to develop quickly.

Maguire has just begun the final year of his contract with Manchester United. Lisandro Martínez, when fit, may be United's best defender, but the question is whether he can stay healthy. Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since November 2025, and there is currently no guarantee he will return to his previous level after recovering from injury.

This means Yoro and Heaven could find themselves thrust into more significant roles sooner than expected. Based on their performances against Brighton, however, they remain some distance away from becoming Manchester United's next established centre-back pairing, let alone reaching the standard of "the strongest centre-back partnership in world football."

Manchester United hopes the pair will eventually develop into a strong partnership. Until then, Yoro and Heaven will continue learning alongside established players like Maguire and Lisandro Martínez.

When Yoro and Heaven are paired together again, they need to perform better, as they currently fall well short of the high standards Maguire has set for himself.

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