Manchester United Fan: I Hope Sir Alex Ferguson Does Not Sign Wesley Sneijder

I know. This statement sounds treasonous.

Why would a United fan wish for his club to miss out on its top transfer prospect?

No, I haven't switched allegiances, but the answer is in truth quite complex

As one of the world's top playmakers, the Dutchman would cost Fergie somewhere in the region of £35 million. Considering United have already invested roughly £60 million this summer to acquire Phil Jones, David De Gea and Ashley Young, this transfer would drive Fergie's summer spending to nearly £100 million.

Furthermore, with Britain's high income tax rates, Sneijder would need to make Rooney-like £200,000 million per week in order to take home the same amount of money as he does with Inter Milan. Since United cannot afford these wages outright, the club would need to patch together an incentive-laden structure with huge image rights bonuses in order to match his current earnings.

In other words, signing Sneijder would appear to exhaust most of United's available funds and could prevent Fergie from addressing other needs in future transfer windows.

If Sneijder were 22 years old, I would be more comfortable with the deal as he could contribute immediately before developing into the leader of a very talented group of emerging Red Devils.  Yet, if he were to choose to move elsewhere, he would still be young enough to command a hefty transfer fee.

As it is, the 27-year-old would probably sign a five-year contract with United where he would likely play four seasons before returning to Italy or Holland on the cheap.

Unlike with former superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the club would thus recoup only a small portion of the funds they initially invested in Sneijder.

Beyond the unfavorable economic conditions of the projected transfer, the Dutchman does not appear to fulfill a particular role in the Ferguson's starting 11.

During his tenure both at Inter Milan and with the Dutch National Team, Sneijder has thrived in a 4-2-3-1 system where he occupies the trequartista role wedged between the central midfield and the lone striker. Entrusted to create scoring opportunities with precision passes, Sneijder generally stays within the opponent's half.

Conversely, Sir Alex Ferguson prefers a 4-4-2 formation which features two clearly identifiable strikers and two clearly defined box-to-box midfielders. While one of the strikers (Wayne Rooney) can drop into midfield to help establish possession and provide better service to the other striker and the wingers, his primary responsibility is to operate deep within the opponents third.

While Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, and Anderson are certainly not elite central midfielders, they cover the entire pitch occasionally assisting in the attack and providing (well, nominal) resistance (at least they try) to advancing attackers. 

Unfortunately, Sneijder is too small to play as an out-and-out striker and would be way outside of his element attempting to mark the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in central midfield.

Fergie could accommodate the Dutch international by modifying his current base formation either a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-1-2-1-2, but both approaches are ultimately flawed.

In the first case, Sneijder would succeed as a deeper-lying playmaker situated behind a central striker, but his inclusion would force Rooney forward as the lone striker and thus displace undeniably talented finisher Chicharito.

In the second scenario, Sneijder would combine to form a lethal striker force with Rooney and Chicharito, but would anyone actually want to leave Carrick or Anderson alone in the central midfield to deal with opponents' counterattacks? I didn't think so.

Ultimately, if United sign Sneijder, his hefty transfer fee and wages will force Sir Alex to field him in essentially every meaningful contest. So, instead of incorporating the player into his desired formation, Fergie would need to develop a strategy to accommodate Sneijder's talents at the expense of other players.

While I trust Fergie's infinite wisdom, he has made similar mistakes in the past.

The most obvious example stems from his 2007 acquisition of Carlos Tévez and his 2008 £30.75 million purchase of Dimitar Berbatov. Along with Wayne Rooney, Man U featured a trio of world-class strikers who would not reach their full potential until released from the confines of a Cristiano Ronaldo-centric attack.

I would hate to see talented youngsters Chicharito, Danny Welbeck or even Tom Cleverly not properly utilized in order to accommodate the largely unnecessary Sneijder.

Conversely, B/R columnist Greg Lott has suggested Javi Martínez of Atletico Bilbao as a potential solution in the central midfield. Impressing as the skipper of Spain's U-21 European Championship side, the 22-year-old manages play exceptionally well anywhere on the pitch and is capable of launching barnstorming runs from deep within the midfield.

Unlike Sneijder, the young Spaniard could simply displace the struggling Carrick in midfield providing United with a more dynamic and industrious option. At roughly £20 million, he wouldn't come cheap, but the transfer market isn't exactly overflowing with Chicharitos now, is it?

Since Sneijder is probably inking his deal at the very moment you are reading this article, I'll go ahead an make the perfunctory, "don't say I didn't warn you" statement.

Anyway, I'd definitely like to hear your thoughts!