Patrice Evra has been a Manchester United stalwart for a number of seasons now and was a crucial member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s team as he was approaching his final years. He is a consistent and talented left-back that has become a fan favourite. This means that whoever Louis van Gaal brings in as a long-term replacement for Evra should have all the features that the Frenchman possesses in his game.
Manchester United have been tracking the services of Luke Shaw for many months now after the youngster’s break through season with Southampton. His success was very surprsing, but he was touted for a big futue before he came into the picture at the Saints. The most recent report has come from the Daily Mail, who have suggested that Ronald Koeman, the new Southampton boss, has bumped up the potential cost of Shaw to £40 million.
The increase in price is a way of Koeman trying to fend off interest for one of his prized possessions. I’m no van Gaal, but it has certainly put me off. Don’t get me wrong, Shaw is a fantastic player and he will only get better in the future. With a player like Shaw, you buy him as an investment for the future and hope that he pays you back at some point. However, you can get some players in Europe for half the price who also bring that prospect of future development.
If young English players are now worth £40 million then it is no wonder teams look abroad where there is talent at a fair price.