Manchester United have been defensively under par this season. Whilst Louis Van Gaal’s arrival heralded a spending spree, the Dutchman opted to mainly focus on bolstering his attacking options.
Now he can call upon players like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, but he can barely string together a proper back-four. This approach to the transfer market just doesn’t make any sense to me. Isn’t there something to be said for balance?
Admittedly, Van Gaal did sign Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind in the summer. Manchester United also brought in Luke Shaw, but it’s not clear that that deal had the Dutchman’s seal of approval. This is interesting to consider when you mull over a story that was recently published in The Metro.
According to this source, Manchester United are ready to battle it out with Manchester City for the signature of Barcelona’s star left-back, Jordi Alba. What this means for Luke Shaw remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the Spaniard would represent a significant step-up on what the young English full-back can currently offer.
Alba is still well thought of at the Nou Camp (that’s unsurprising really, as he’s among the best full-backs in world football), but the aforementioned source claims that his club are willing to do business should the right offer come in.
With Manchester United spending money like it was going out of fashion in the summer, they’ve shown the footballing world that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the transfer market. Doubtless they could pull together a fee for Jordi Alba, should Louis Van Gaal be interested enough to do so.
After a summer where Manchester United were linked to just about every exciting attacking player under the sun, it’s refreshing to see them get linked to a world-class defender. Let’s just hope that this isn’t just tabloid nonsense. If The Red Devils can get their hands on Jordi Alba, they’ll be a markedly improve side.
What’s your take? Is Jordi Alba a good option for Manchester United? What does the future hold for Luke Shaw?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.