You’d be hard-pressed to find one team in the Premiership that wouldn’t benefit heavily from the services of a solid back-line player, yet strikers Nicolas Anelka, David Villa, Dimitar Berbatov and Karim Benzema have been the stars of transfer window speculation this week.

United and Arsenal — the two sides linked heavily with these names — are probably strong enough out in the back as is to complete a title quest in England. Champions League, however, might be a different story.

United’s stable of defenders has picked up no major additions since it played a pivotal role in the Devils being dumped by Milan in last season’s semifinal stage. Arsenal insist on advertising themselves as Champions League frontrunners. But remember, 2006 titlelist Barcelona and Milan, last season’s victor, picked up their respective crowns without a starting back-line player under the age of 26 between them. The Gunners’ two youngest starting defenders, back wingers Bacary Sagna (24) and Gael Clichy (22), have been dynamic overall but hardly lock-tight on the defensive end.

Maybe that’s why the likes of Juventus are believed to be so hot on the trail of Aston Villa’s Olof Mellberg, who at 30 lacks the flair of a Sagna or a Clichy but more fits the mold of true defenders playing on the wing like Barca’s Carlos Puyol and Milan’s Massimo Ambrosini.