Just about everybody is aware that Manchester United are lacking in defensive options. How else can we explain the fact that former players have been making suggestions about who the club should sign?
This brings me to John O’Shea’s recent comments about Borussia Dortmund centre-back and World Cup winner, Mats Hummels. Speaking shortly after Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Germany, he said:
“I could definitely recommend them Mats Hummels from Germany. He was fantastic last night. It seems to be that he doesn’t want to leave Germany. But you never know, there’s always different incentives they [Man United] can offer to change that. But he was very good last night.” (Source: The Star)
O’Shea covers quite a lot of ground with his comments. There’s no denying that Mats Hummels would improve this Manchester United side. Just about any half-decent defender would at this stage. It just so happens that Mats Hummels is much more than that. He’s probably among the world’s top five centre-backs at the moment.
It’s also fair to say that he doesn’t seem all that keen to leave Borussia Dortmund. If you’ve seen him interviewed in recent times, then you’ll probably have noticed that he’s always looking for an excuse not to leave.
This brings me to those ‘incentives’ that John O’Shea mentioned. What he’s referring to, I think, is Manchester United’s financial fortitude. Hummels may not want to leave Germany, but The Red Devils may be able to tempt him to do so by offering him a mammoth wage-packet.
If modern football has taught us anything, it’s that money can change a player’s mind on just about any issue.
At 25-years-old, Hummels is just about to enter the best years of his footballing career. Now looks like the best possible time to swoop in and snap him up. John O’Shea has hit the nail on the head: he’s the perfect man for Manchester United.
Let’s just hope that Louis Van Gaal sees things the same way.
What’s your take? Would Mats Hummels be a good fit for The Red Devils? Are there any other defenders that Louis Van Gaal should be looking at?
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