Manchester United Transfer News: Kevin Strootman Would Be Perfect for Red Devils

Louis van Gaal’s infatuation with Kevin Strootman is a seemingly unashamed one.

The former Netherlands boss is a massive admirer of the midfielder. So much so that when the Roma man’s World Cup hopes were curtailed by a terrible injury, Van Gaal switched from 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 system to compensate for the loss of his main midfield man.

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Months on, the Dutch boss now finds himself at Manchester United with a big job to focus on, while the former PSV player is currently in the latter stages of a recuperation process following his lengthy layoff. But is a reunion between player and manager all but inevitable?

According to David McDonnell of The Mirror, the 24-year-old is desperate to join up with his former national team boss at Old Trafford, who in turn is willing to part with £25 million in order to get the midfield dynamo on his books. 

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And according to Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan, Van Gaal will move for the Roma midfielder once he’s proven he’s fully fit, per talkSPORT:

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If he was fit Van Gaal would have bought him. But at the moment he would never pass a medical at Manchester United.

But we are convinced he will take him and he will be approached [in January]. Interestingly, he has just changed his agent and gone with the same one as Robin van Persie.

"

It seems as though there is an irrepressible willingness from both parties to get this deal done. But what exactly would United be getting for their money? 

Admittedly, they’d be acquiring a player who, like Radamel Falcao, is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, a knock Strootman suffered back in March.

Van Gaal commented on how significant a blow that was for his Netherlands team ahead of the World Cup, per BeNeFoot:

Should there be concerns over his fitness? Perhaps, for some players never quite return to the same level after sustaining such a significant injury. But if the Dutchman can return to peak physicality and recapture the form showcased for the Giallorossi before his ACL injury, then United would have a marvellous and majestically balanced midfielder on their hands. 

Here are some of the standout moments from Strootman’s debut campaign at the Stadio Olimpico:

The most desirable of Strootman’s attributes are what United are crying out for in the heart of their midfield. Yes, they have the impetus and ingenuity of Angel di Maria and the purposeful playmaking of Ander Herrera, but what they lack is physicality—someone who’d give United a genuine box-to-box presence in the middle of the park.

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Enter Strootman, who at his best is one of the most rounded midfield players in the game. Defensively he is extremely astute, capable of shielding his back-four with shrewd positioning and industrious tracking. He’s unyieldingly energetic, too, meaning his influence in these areas of the pitch rarely dwindles.

But that's not all. He’s a player who loves to surge forward with the ball and create opportunities for teammates. Indeed, WhoScored.com provides us with an indication of just how much of a creative force the Roma man was before he got injured:

But most encouraging—and perhaps most important for United’s new manager—Strootman has showcased a willingness to be versatile, and that kind adaptive trait is vital when working under Van Gaal. During the Oranje’s preparations for the World Cup, Strootman occupied myriad positions in the Netherlands' midfield triumvirate, excelling in them all.

Perhaps he'd even expedite the switch towards a 4-3-3 system—a formation that Van Gaal has typically favoured during his decorated career as a manager.

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Nonetheless, whether he plays as an anchor, an orthodox central midfielder or even pushing forward into an attacking midfield role, Strootman is capable of adapting and flourishing. And when you scan his career progress to date, there’s little to suggest that he wouldn’t blossom even further in the Premier League.

After moving from the Eredivisie to Serie A, the player could have been afforded a little bit of time to adapt to the slower but more technical demands required in the Italian top flight. But he slotted seamlessly into Rudi Garcia’s side and was a vital figure in Roma getting off to the best start of any Serie A team, winning all 10 of their opening games, per BBC Sport.

With Strootman in the latter stages of his rehabilitation from that ACL injury, he’ll be hoping to force his way back into the Roma XI and regain full fitness ahead of 2015. But given United’s need for a central midfield enforcer and Van Gaal’s clear affinity with the player, you can guarantee the Red Devils will be keeping a keen eye on his progress.