Anybody who saw Manchester United struggle to a 2-2 draw with West Brom last Monday night, will be well aware that they’re a team with major defensive issues. As we all know, Louis Van Gaal spent big on attacking options this summer, but left his back-four a little under-cooked.
Sure he brought in Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, but given that Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra all packed their bags, I think it’s fair to say that he could have done more. Losing so many experienced players was always going to have a major impact.
As a result, when the January transfer window rolls open, there’s a good chance that Van Gaal will be in the market for another defender (or two). This brings me to The Star‘s claim that The Dutchman is considering making a move for former Manchester United star, Gerard Pique. What a turn of events that would be.
Pique’s first stay at Manchester United wasn’t all that successful. He made 12 appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson before getting loaned out Real Zaragoza. In the end he wound up at Barcelona as part of a £5m deal. Since then he hasn’t really looked back.
It’s not easy being a centre-back for Barcelona, given the structure of their team, but Pique fits right in. He’s a powerful physical presence who also happens to be extremely comfortable on the ball. He’s good in the air, he makes smart decisions and his distribution from the back is excellent. Now that he’s 27-years-old, it’s clear that he’s an excellent defender.
The aforementioned source claims that Manchester United are planning to make a £20m bid for the Barcelona defender. Whether Pique will be tempted to move back to Old Trafford remains to be seen, but this certainly looks like a step in the right direction for Manchester United.
One way or another, Louis Van Gaal needs to do something.
What’s your take? Could The Red Devils really tempt Gerard Pique to return back to Old Trafford? Does the Spaniard have what it takes to help steady the Manchester United ship?
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