Manchester United’s lacklustre performance was punished by Swansea, who beat them 2-1 in the opening weekend of the season. Their squad depth was ruthlessly exposed, as their academy players were clearly not up to the mark, in the absence of some of their top players such as Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick. Injuries might force players out of games later on, as the season progresses, but sadly, United are lacking the necessary players to replace their first-team players. FootballFriendsOnline.com feels that Louis van Gaal needs at least three players who are capable of walking into the first-team and lending the squad the necessary balance.
Three players who would be valuable additions are
1. Angel di Maria:
United’s wing-play has lacked creativity at times, as United’s wingers tend to cross at the slightest hint of an opposing player getting in their way. The ball is easily headed out, and the move has to develop all over again. Angel di Maria has not been hesitant to take on defenders in the La Liga while creating valuable chances, as his Squawka statistics suggest that he has been successful in take-ons 48 out of 97 times. Adnan Januzaj has been the only winger who took on defenders as successfully last year (51 out of 97 take-ons) and created chances.
Nani might beat opposing defenders, but is largely inconsistent. Also, Angel di Maria has the all-round game to fit into the role of a wing-back in Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation. He also has shown tendencies to find space on the wings, which he can exploit to great effect. He will be looking to secure a move away from Real Madrid, as the purchase of James Rodriguez has severely weakened his first-team chances.
2. Arturo Vidal:
United struggled last season in the absence of a powerful defensive midfielder, as the midfielders deployed in those roles: Carrick, Cleverley and Fletcher – are all passers of the ball. United lacked a player who could tackle players, break down opposing play and create attacks. They might have Ander Herrera now, but he clearly needs more time to settle.
Arturo Vidal has been great at Juventus, as he has got possession back for his team through his tackling and has been involved in creating attacks from the back with his skills. He could be the leader that United have struggled to find in midfield after the retirement of Paul Scholes, and will be able to dictate play in United’s favour.
However, Juventus are aware of United’s interest in Vidal, and have jacked up the price so that Louis van Gaal finds it difficult to broker a deal. Also, United do not want to make a move for Juventus’ other star midfielder, Paul Pogba, as he is an ex-United player who moved to Juve to get more first-team playing time, and he wouldn’t fancy a move back to United. Thus, United have only one option from Juventus – Arturo Vidal – and Juventus will look to milk United for a huge sum of money.
3. Mehdi Benatia
United lack an experienced defender after the departures of Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, who played a combined tally of 796 games for Manchester United. United were in pursuit of Mats Hummels, who would have been the ideal addition to the squad, with the quality he would add to a position that has looked dodgy from the start of the season.
However, Jurgen Klopp elected to make Hummels his captain to keep him from forcing a move away, which has made United look at Mehdi Benatia from AS Roma. Mehdi Benatia will be a valuable addition, too, as he intercepts and clears the ball quickly. United have been slow in stopping opposition attacks and Benatia would clear this tendency. His height is an added advantage, as he could win a high percentage of aerial duels in the Premier League. He played almost all of AS Roma’s games last season, and would be the automatic leader in a two-man or in a three-man central defence, depending on the formation that Louis van Gaal uses.
United may have spent exorbitantly on the two players they have purchased so far, which has placed an unnecessary strain on their resources, as the clubs from which they want to purchase more players are quoting similar exorbitant prices for their players. Louis van Gaal needs to splash the cash and buy at least a winger, a central defender and a defensive midfielder, so that the squad has the necessary depth to compete against other clubs.