Is this man the final piece in Sir Alex’s jigsaw puzzle?

It’s been one of the longest running transfer sagas of the summer but there are now suggestions that Wesley Sneijders protracted move to Manchester United is getting closer.

A number of United fans see the Dutchman as the ideal replacement for the now retired Paul Scholes, as he is very much in the same mould in terms of his vision and passing game.

He would also bring goals, during his time at Ajax he scored 48 times in 127 appearances, his Inter record is a little more modest, 8 goals in 51 games but given the players he will be playing alongside he will certainly only add to United’s attacking prowess.

Sneijder could provide the creative spark in the middle of the field that Ferguson so desperately craves in his quest to overturn Barcelona.

Reports have suggested that the player would cost in the region of £35m and his wages could be as much as £200,000 per week, so would argue this is a huge financial outlay for a 27 year old. Though Ferguson has long been an admirer of Sneijder and attempted to sign him on a number of other occasions.

It’s been a summer of rebuilding at Old Trafford and a number of players have already been shown the door, John O’Shea and Wes Brown left for Sunderland, Owen Hargreaves was released, Gabriel Obertan was sold to Newcastle and veterans Edwin Van Der Saar, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes all retired.

There are suggestions that there will be other departures before the close of the transfer window with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Darron Gibson, Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf all being linked with moves away from the club.

Though on the evidence on Sunday’s community shield does Sir Alex really need Wesley Sneijder? Having come from 2-0 down to win 3-2  playing some scintillating football in the second half in particular United looked far too strong for potential title contenders Manchester City.

Perhaps what will please the manager most is the fact that at the final whistle the average age of the United players on the pitch was just 22.2. Players such as Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, Chris Smalling, and Tom Cleverley, all English, caught the eye in particular.

There is no doubting that Sneijder is a world class player and his experience could really add something to the team. Having played for Ajax, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan he’s used to the expectations of playing for Europe’s biggest clubs and the chance to join United could prove to be he cannot turn down.

Even his national team coach, Bert Van Marwijk, has suggested that a move to Manchester United would be beneficial to his game, as their style of play suits his mentally. This view was supported by international team-mate and friend Rafael Van der Vaart who claimed Sneijder and United are the ideal match.

Having spent £50m already this summer on David De Gea, Phil Jones, and Ashley Young Sir Alex Ferguson is well on the way to building a title winning team, add Wesley Sneijder into that equation and you certainly would bet against them securing title number 20.

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