Manchester United And Chelsea In A Transfer Battle For Spanish Defender

Chelsea and Manchester United are set to battle each other for Barcelona defender Gerard Pique after it was revealed that the 27-year old is in ‘crisis’ talks with the club.

Pique is contemplating a move away from Barcelona after falling down the pecking order with Chelsea and Manchester United monitoring him closely. According to Mirrorsport, Barcelona representatives are trying to convince the Spanish international to stay at the club. He is contracted with the club until 2019 but could leave in the upcoming transfer window if if he continues to spend his time on the Barcelona bench.

Manager Luis Enrique has gone with different combinations in defence and he has done so with Marc Batra, Javier Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu. Pique has made just six appearances this season and has grown disillusioned by the lack of game time.

According to reports, Chelsea want to sign Pique as they are just one injury away from their defence being stretched. Adding to that is the age of John Terry. The Chelsea skipper is in the wrong side of his 30’s which means he’ll need to be replaced by a younger player.

The Spaniard had a four-year spell at Manchester United under then manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Now, his old club are trying to re-sign him as Louis Van Gaal seeks a solution to his defensive frailties. United have had a poor campaign so far with their defence letting them down at times.  The addition of Pique will add more quality and a sense of leadership that has been lacking until now. However, the chances of Pique joining Chelsea are more as they are challenging for honours. United languish in the 7th spot which could be a factor come January. If they haven’t improved their league position then Pique could reject them.