NFLNBAMLBNHLWNBACFBSoccer
Featured Video
NHL Chug Fail Caught on TV 🍻

Manchester United Transfer Rumor: What Man Utd Need to Know About Kwadwo Asamoah

Allan JiangMay 20, 2012

Manchester United's €12 million bid for Udinese's Kwadwo Asamoah has been rejected, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Asamoah, a 23-year-old Ghanaian international, has left an impression in Serie A with his consistent performances for Udinese. 

Here's what Sir Alex Ferguson and Red Devil supporters need to know about Asamoah.

6. Kwadwo Asamoah's Playing Style

1 of 6

Kwadwo Asamoah is just as dynamic as Ramires but more refined in possession. 

The Ghanaian midfielder completes 82.5 percent of his 50.9 passes per game. He has the capability to spray accurate long passes.

Asamoah's blend of physicality and finesse makes him a standout player. 

He's quicker than Kevin Strootman but isn't the finished product like Yann M'Vila. 

5. Kwadwo Asamoah's Ball Winning Ability

2 of 6

Kwadwo Asamoah is in peak condition which is why he has only been subbed off three times in Serie A. 

His seemingly limitless energy has allowed him to successfully play a box-to-box role for Udinese. 

How does his defensive statistics compare to Manchester United centre midfielders Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs? 

 Tackles Per GameInterceptions Per GameFouls Per Game
Asamoah 2.61.21.1
Carrick32.40.7
Scholes 2.31.41.3
Giggs1.11.20.8

4. Kwadwo Asamoah and Tactics

3 of 6

This season, Francesco Guidolin mainly used a 3-5-2 with three central midfielders: Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla and Giampiero Pinzi. 

Isla has been ordinary but keep in mind he still thinks like a wing-back. 

Pinzi is a ferocious tackler but he has Cheick Tioté-esq discipline. 

Of the three, Asamoah is the in-form midfielder. He is the one with the higher football IQ and he is less likely to make errors. 

So what is his role? Box-to-box midfielder. 

His finishing needs improving because 15.7 shots per goal is not good enough. Ideally, he needs to get it down to 4.9 shots per goal like Antonio Nocerino. 

During the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Goran Stevanović played Asamoah as the central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. He played more like a centre midfielder than an attacking midfielder.

He was lively and I named him in my team of the tournament

He would be a better fit in a 4-4-2 at Manchester United than Shinji Kagawa.

TOP NEWS

Spain beat England 2-1 to win EURO 2024 title
PSG v FC Bayern Munich - UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final

3. Underestimate Kwadwo Asamoah at Your Peril

4 of 6

When Kwadwo Asamoah first broke into the Udinese starting XI, he was playing alongside Gaetano D'Agostino and Gökhan Inler. 

Opposing teams didn't know who Asamoah was nor did they really care about stopping him. 

I also believe because he was a Ghanaian midfielder, opposing teams assumed he was technically and tactically limited. 

Why else was he afforded so much space? 

He scored two goals, one against Cagliari and another against Fiorentina, without anyone tracking his original run. 

Opposing teams dared him to pass not knowing he was comfortable in possession. He exploited this by routinely playing in Antonio Floro Flores, who provided 11 assists that season. 

2. Kwadwo Asamoah's Explosiveness

5 of 6

Kwadwo Asamoah has neat ball control but he's no Mohammed Polo. 

Asamoah relies on explosiveness to get past opponents. 

Like Ramires with Chelsea, Asamoah is Udinese's one-man counter attack—he often creates something out of nothing. 

 Completed DribblesDribbles Per Game
Asamoah 622
Nani531.8
Ramires 431.4
Antonio Valencia351.3
Ashley Young190.8

1. Final Comment

6 of 6

There's so much upside with Kwadwo Asamoah. 

Why didn't Manchester United sign Arturo Vidal from Bayer Leverkusen? Look at him now for Juventus—178 tackles, 71 interceptions, 51 created shots and seven goals. 

He's exactly the type of midfielder missing from Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI. 

It's irrelevant that Asamoah isn't a big name. Does he have big-time potential? Yes. 

There's a reason why Antonio Conte wants to make Asamoah a Juve player. 

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com

NHL Chug Fail Caught on TV 🍻

TOP NEWS

Spain beat England 2-1 to win EURO 2024 title
PSG v FC Bayern Munich - UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Final
5-Year Redraft
Titans Camp Football

TRENDING ON B/R