For the most part of the summer, Manchester United have been linked with a swoop for Juventus' Arturo Vidal. Vidal, easily one of the best midfielders around at the moment, would have been perfect for United, but there seems to have been a complication whilst negotiating a deal with Juventus. It is rumoured that United are unwilling to meet Juventus' demands of €50 million for their star midfielder, despite already having agreed personal terms with the player. Due to this, van Gaal has now apparently focused his attentions elsewhere in order to solve the crisis in the middle of the park at Manchester United.
Arturo Vidal would have been the perfect signing for United, where he would have filled a Roy Keane shaped void in their midfield. Alongside Ander Herrera, who has already shown glimpses of how good he is, Vidal would have been a revelation in their midfield. It might be difficult to accept and get over the fact that he won't be coming to Old Trafford anytime soon unless van Gaal has double bluffed the media, but there are always plenty of other fish in the sea, who might not necessarily be at Vidal's level, but then again, very few are.
Here are some players who I think should be on Manchester United's radar in the upcoming weeks:
In the last summer window, Strootman was available for less than £20 million. Roma snatched him up while David Moyes got humiliated in his public pursuits of Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara. It pains me to remember how United were not even interested in the Dutch midfielder, who clearly one of the, if not the best midfielder in the Eredivisie at that time. As Roma fans and Rudi Garcia will tell you, £15 million for Strootman was a bargain. The box-to-box midfielder took the Serie A by storm and was an integral part of Garcia's system, whose team evolved around him. Strootman has also impressed on the international stage, with Louis van Gaal also opting to base his side around the midfielder. Strootman can pass, shoot, tackle, create, and run, meaning he is a complete midfielder. The only downside to buying him right now would be the fact that he has just returned from an ACL injury, hence it might take some time for him to regain his match fitness, strength and sharpness. Still, Strootman would walk into the Manchester United line up, and might even give van Gaal the option to revert back to his attacking 4-3-3 formation.
No list about solid midfielders would be complete without mentioning Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan. Similar to Strootman, Gundogan is also recovering from an injury which kept him out for the better part of the season, but still without a doubt Gundogan is one of the most talented young midfielders around the world at the moment. Need I remind you of how he bossed Real Madrid's exquisite midfield in the Champions League? Gundogan is a type of player who will give him utmost best everytime he pulls on a jersey. Who wouldn't want that type of player in their midfield? Although he has been quite injury prone for the past couple of seasons, I believe that in the near future, Gundogan will be one of the finest midfielders in the world.
Although the AC Milan midfielder would not be regarded by most as an elite midfielder, van Gaal managed to bring out the best of him in the World Cup, where he was one of the best defensive midfielders around in my opinion. Seeing what van Gaal can do with him, he could turn out to be a bargain if United do sign him. He would also in turn bring out the best of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata, who could go venturing forward with ease knowing that de Jong is protecting their back line. Many people had doubts on whether or not he could fill the van Bommel shaped hole in the Oranje's midfield, which he managed to do quite brilliantly, so it would be interesting to see how he goes about filling a Roy Keane shaped hole in Manchester United's midfield should he be signed.
Overall, there is a certain amount of risk involved with signing any of the three midfielders I have listed above, but in my opinion they are the only ones who would thrive in the role given to them at Manchester United. Kevin Strootman and Ilkay Gundogan are both incredible young prospects, while Nigel de Jong could restart his career after a series of disappointing spells at different clubs. Any of the three listed above would be great for Manchester United, and signing any of them would certainly propel Manchester United straight into the title race alongside the likes of Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea.
Twitter: @VanPerseing
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| NO DEAL: It seems like United's pursuit of Vidal has come to an end. |
Here are some players who I think should be on Manchester United's radar in the upcoming weeks:
Kevin Strootman
Ilkay Gundogan
Nigel de Jong
Although the AC Milan midfielder would not be regarded by most as an elite midfielder, van Gaal managed to bring out the best of him in the World Cup, where he was one of the best defensive midfielders around in my opinion. Seeing what van Gaal can do with him, he could turn out to be a bargain if United do sign him. He would also in turn bring out the best of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata, who could go venturing forward with ease knowing that de Jong is protecting their back line. Many people had doubts on whether or not he could fill the van Bommel shaped hole in the Oranje's midfield, which he managed to do quite brilliantly, so it would be interesting to see how he goes about filling a Roy Keane shaped hole in Manchester United's midfield should he be signed.
Overall, there is a certain amount of risk involved with signing any of the three midfielders I have listed above, but in my opinion they are the only ones who would thrive in the role given to them at Manchester United. Kevin Strootman and Ilkay Gundogan are both incredible young prospects, while Nigel de Jong could restart his career after a series of disappointing spells at different clubs. Any of the three listed above would be great for Manchester United, and signing any of them would certainly propel Manchester United straight into the title race alongside the likes of Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea.
Twitter: @VanPerseing
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