Manchester United: 5 Possible Summer Signings To Fill Midfield Flaw
Manchester United are currently a few sandwiches short of reaping the Premiership harvest they have sown. To put it simply, they need two central midfielders as their options currently appear "limited" to the more coy amongst us, or "crap" to us realists. So the current contenders:
Paul Scholes: The aging custodian still has "it" (whatever "it" is), but at 35 years of age and a real concern that he may well retire at the end of the season, a replacement must certainly be sought sooner rather than later.
Michael Carrick: The man who, I assume, played lots of rugby at school enjoys a nice backwards pass. He...no i have nothing else. Remind me again what he has done to deserve a new contract...
Darren Fletcher: To me, "Fletch" doesn't need replacing. He may not be the most overtly talented player, but his work ethic and strict adherence to both his defensive and attacking duties are a powerful bow in the United armoury. He also pops up with a good few important goals. No, you're fine by me Fletch.
Anderson: The boy from Brazil came amidst a clamour of his being the world's next great Brazilian. He might well still become that man, but for the moment he is quite conclusively not there yet.
Darron Gibson: He is very good at shooting when he doesn't hit the corner flag and has scored a few very good goals for United, but his game is simply thus. He won't get sold, but he should (although not as much as Carrick should).
And that's it...Impressive eh?
I have read on here in recent weeks about the notion of dropping Rooney back to fill the void. Although this is a viable suggestion I feel that that would leave the side very striker light (the only alternatives to Hernandez and Berba being Welbeck and Macheda—I don't count Owen as a player). Then again if we can indeed buy a 20 a season striker on the budget we have then all is well and good.
In the event that this doesn't happen (chances are not very high), then the purpose of this slide-show is to cite a few alternatives to the central "riches" currently at our disposal. All I feel are fairly realistic targets, at achievable prices and all would be of benefit to United.
There are more, of course but I will put these five out there for starters. I am in no way claiming that we could or even should get all five, but one or two would do nicely; I'll let you decide which ones.
Think of any more? You know the drill.
Enjoy.
Nuri Sahin—Borussia Dortmund
1 of 5
Age: 22
Nationality: Turkish
Price tag: 15 million
For some unfathomable reason unbeknownst to myself, Nuri Sahin is still below the radar of many world football fans. Yet as the fulcrum of the Borussia Dortmund side currently taking the Bundesliga by storm, this is surely only a fleeting oversight.
Sahin was born in 1988 in Ludenscheid Germany, the son of Turkish parents. His career since has been one of firsts: youngest player to play in the Bundesliga, youngest player to score in the Bundesliga, youngest player to represent Turkey, youngest player to score for Turkey.
At 22 years of age Sahin would be seen as an attractive proposition for Sir Alex, adhering to his mandate for recruiting top class young players that can be moulded into the OT system.
Although admittedly the Bundesliga is not quite of the standard as the current Premiership, the physicality of the play is much more akin to the English game: A style in which Sahin revels.
A fairly tall player at 5’11, he would be a logical and far better alternative than the one they call Carrick. A player with lighting feet, clever skill, great vision and range of passing as well as the ability to deliver a mean free-kick, or another player in the same position whose greatest talent is to pass backwards?
Sahin’s only current misnomer is his scoring record; it isn’t exactly impressive. Yet with time on his side and under the tutelage of the great Sir Alex Ferguson, these things would come out in the wash.
Wesley Sneijder—Inter Milan
2 of 5
Age: 26
Nationality: Dutch
Price tag: 25-30 million
United were apparently looking at Sneijder last summer.
I have to admit I got a little excited by the prospect as, in my opinion he is the third best central midfielder in the world outside of the Barcelona duo. Currently plying his trade for soon to be usurped European champions Inter Milan, who, let's face it, aren’t exactly setting the world alight, Sneijder’s position at Inter is not infallible.
At 26 years of age Sneijder is a player just entering his prime. A player with quite possibly the best vision in world football, the second top goalscorer at the last World Cup, possessing the touch and poise of the very best and oh yeah his free-kicks are pretty special. I don’t see what’s not to like…
Before the boo boys claim Sneijder is a “stupid target” or “we couldn’t get him,” just consider a few factors. Admittedly Inter’s renaissance under Leonardo from the mismanaged incompetence of the Rafa Benitez tenure is impressive and the away goals victory over Bayern Munich will do the side wonders. All this is well and good, but look at the precedent Sneijder et al set for themselves last season.
Imagine that Inter draw Barcelona in the next round, a match they would be favourites to be eliminated from, it’s fair to say. That leaves the league but with a five point deficit to make up on long time leaders AC, who are not the favourites. So a team that last season swept the board, ends this season trophy-less for the first time in seven years.
Unrealistic target? No I don’t think so either.
Eden Hazard—Lille
3 of 5
Age: 20
Nationality: Belgian
Price tag: 15 million
Whilst Lille still hold their precarious grip upon the League 1 title, residing three points ahead of second place Rennais and a further one ahead off Lyon and Marseille, it is Lille we are talking about. The rumours are already abounding as to Hazard's imminent arrival at one of Europe’s top clubs, including United (although Arsenal have a far more established courtship of the player).
Any player with 100 starts for a top French side is a prospect worth looking at, but with Hazard I can’t see Sir Alex not going back for a second peek. A player like Hazard could ensure United’s stability for years to come, confining the incompetence of Carrick to the annuls of time. With trickery and a maturity on the ball belying his slender years, there is nothing to say Eden Hazard could not become one of the world’s best in the next 10 years and where better to do so than at United?
The one issue I could foresee with Hazard’s arrival is that currently, in what amounts to almost a free-role in the Lille side, Hazard is playing a very forward orientated game with little onus put on his defensive duties. In reality this is hardly an issue of much resonance as United effectively play a diamond midfield, at times anyway, with a holding midfielder (Fletcher or the backward passing one) and a more advanced, attacking midfielder, usually Paul Scholes.
If, when the summer scramble for Hazard’s signature comes to pass, United don’t join in, this writer at least thinks that we might live to regret it.
Daniele De Rossi—Roma
4 of 5
Age: 27
Nationality: Italian
Price tag: 15-20 million
I find it amazing that De Rossi is still only 27 as he seems to have been around forever since making his debut for Roma in 2001 at the tender age of 17.
As a defensive minded central midfield player, in my humble opinion, Roma’s star man is in the top three in the world (the others being Xabi Alonso and Michael Essien—I’m not counting Xavi). Yet he is at Roma; the Roma who currently sit in 6th in the Serie A 13 points of the Azzuri pace-setters. The very same Roma that were humbled 6-2 on aggregate by Shaktar Donetsk in the Champions League first knock out round. No, the auspicious setting of the Olympico can no longer do justice to De Rossi’s talent.
I can see of no better achievable replacement for crock Hargreaves than De Rossi. Although he wouldn’t come particularly cheap, a few choice words of interest from Sir Alex and the disillusionment of playing for a team encased in mediocrity could cause De Rossi’s eye to wander—to Old Trafford.
A tough as nails defensive midfielder in the Gattuso ilk, De Rossi would be perfect foil for any one of the aforementioned flair players in this list. As the Italian national team's vice captain and successor of the armband to current captain Gianluca Buffon, when the later hangs up his gloves, De Rossi would also bring a wealth of leadership to the Red devils midfield. If all that wasn’t enough he also weighs in with his fair share of goals for a defensively minded player.
If we can get him we should. “Fergie, Fergie sign him up” (that was your cue Stretford end).
Charlie Adam—Blackpool
5 of 5
Age: 25
Nationality: Scottish
Price tag: 10 million
A year ago Charlie Adam would not have been on this list. The year before that Charlie Adam would not have been on any list, such has been the seismic rise in the Scot’s stock since the Tangerine’s promotion to the promised land.
Charlie Adam is Blackpool; he ties together the unproven youngsters, journeymen and lower league rejects into a discernible attacking force that actual wins games. I have to admit that at the start of the season I laughed at the prospect of little Blackpool playing week-in week-out in the Premiership. I have eaten my words with ketchup on and Charlie Adam has been the catalyst for what many deemed impossible.
Earlier in the season, after the seasides almost shocked United at Bloomfield Road, going 2-0 up before a late red showing eventually won the game 3-2, United boss sir Alex sated that “Charlie Adam’s corners alone were worth 10 million.” With impressive set-pieces just one in a maelstrom of strings to the Charlie Adam bow, however, the statement could well prove a precursor to a United move for Adam this summer.
After a failed Liverpool bid for Adam at the tail-end of the last transfer window went awry because a director wasn’t available to fill out the necessary paperwork, the move almost appears scripted. Become the most successful club England has ever known and take the player who should be yours, how do you like that Liverpool?
With a price tag of a paltry ten million (remember his corners alone are worth that) Adam would be a very realistic option with proven Premier League quality. I for one think it is a certainty that Adam will be running out at OT next year in a red, rather than a tangerine shirt.
