Picking a Manchester United XI to Exploit Claudio Marchisio

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio is a terrific player and a key component of Antonio Conte's Serie A-winning side.

It is little wonder that Manchester United were linked with a move for the player recently—is there a world-class footballer who the Red Devils haven't been rumoured to want to sign?

Italian news outlet Mediaset reported that United were prepared to bid £20 million for the player and offer a generous wage packet to persuade him to leave (h/t Metro).

Naturally, such transfer speculation must be taken with a grain of salt, but there can be no denying that Marchisio would fit the bill in terms of the Red Devils' current needs.

This article will look at what type of player the Italy international is, and where he might fit in to a future David Moyes team.

Who Is Claudio Marchisio?

Marchisio has been on Juventus' books since youth. With the exception of a brief loan spell at Empoli, he is a one-club man.

He grew up playing in the hole as a central attacking playmaker. Over time, though, he has transitioned back into a more central midfield role.

Under Antonio Conte, he has become a key member of the Italian manager's famed 3-5-2 formation.

He plays as one of the team's box-to-box players alongside the equally assured Arturo Vidal.

His role is to act as a conduit for Andrea Pirlo's creativity, making strong runs with the ball forward and linking up with the flanks.

Marchisio has been known to drift out wide for Juventus, and he has had some notable success playing on the wings.

Physically, the 27-year-old is a prime specimen. His work rate has always been superb, and he's never shied away from tracking back and helping the back line with his limitless energy.

He can also put immense pressure on opponents by harrying further up the field. He is a durable player, a quality United could perhaps use more of.

Marchisio has averaged an impressive 2.7 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in Serie A (via WhoScored.com).

He is an exceptionally well-rounded threat—he can pass, tackle, dribble, shoot and dictate the flow of the game with his movement and positioning.

He exploits space in this respect, often between the lines of the opposition's defence and midfield.

More recently, he has been asked by Conte to inhabit the trequartista position again—as he did in his youth.

In his support of Mirko Vucinic, he has played well, justifying his versatility.

Perhaps most significantly, Marchisio is a hard-working, loyal footballer—one who would put his teammates before self.

With a new manager set to take the reins at Old Trafford, immediate loyalty will be necessary to the Red Devils continuing their dominance in domestic affairs.

How Would He Fit In?

With the introduction of Moyes, it is unclear as to how Manchester United will tactically play next term.

However, based on the Scottish manager's track record, it would be a safe assumption that the Red Devils will play a variation of the standard 4-2-3-1, with one striker.

In this scenario, I would see Claudio Marchisio playing alongside Michael Carrick further back, with Shinji Kagawa in the trequartista position.

On paper, Marchisio would complement Carrick perfectly—the former would bound back-and-forth, linking with the side's attacking midfielders, while the latter would continue to sit back and dictate matters.

Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley are both excellent prospects, but the composed Italian would offer the Red Devils a little more confidence when playing against high-pressure teams.

His physicality and ability to play slick passing football shouldn't render any transition to the British game difficult.

He is an action-man—a multi-purpose threat across the breadth of the field.

It has become clear this season, especially in regards to the European game, that United's midfield is currently their weakest link.

This applies to the side's wingers too—consider it an added bonus that Marchisio is capable of playing out wide in a fluid formation.

A couple of months ago, I wrote that his teammate, Arturo Vidal, would be a perfect player to bring to Old Trafford in the summer.

Perhaps it is because Juventus currently have two of the best box-to-box threats in the game that the Red Devils continue to be linked with their players.

It is worth bearing in mind that Claudio Marchisio was linked with a transfer to United before the sudden retirement announcement from Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Italian may have been singled out by him as a potential signing, but who's to say what David Moyes thinks?

Moyes may be planning on bringing his resident Everton enforcer, Marouane Fellaini, to Manchester with him.

This article has merely suggested that Claudio Marchisio would fit seamlessly into the United way of thinking.

What do you make of the speculation linking the Red Devils with Claudio Marchisio? How would he fit?

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