Reading the title you’d be excused to think that the midfielder I was referring to was Andrea Pirlo, however it’s his Juventus colleague Arturo Vidal that I put forward to fill the Manchester United midriff. Here’s why.
The Chile international has been the Turin side’s standout player by some margin this season and probably one of the most impressive on the European stage. He is an energetic player who bursts from box to box and pulls the strings from wherever he is on the field.
He doesn’t have the composure of Pirlo or the power of Paul Pogba, but he loves getting in the face of the opposition and make life difficult. He has won 24/27 of his tackles in Europe this season and averaged three defensive actions per game, but it’s when he’s on the ball that he impresses most.
He’s scored five goals in five games in the Champions League and another five in Serie A, as well as 22 key balls. He has completed 83% of his passes and won nearly 60% of his headers despite his small frame.
He has the right blend of technique, aggression, skill and awareness to thrive on the big stage and if I was David Moyes I would be going all out to sign the 26-year-old.