Whilst the headline: ‘Manchester United line up move for Borussia Dortmund star’ probably had many thinking that Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to make an approach for 19-year-old German starlet Mario Goetze, the truth is somewhat less exciting. According to Setanta, United are planning to swoop for Dortmund’s Japanese International Shinji Kagawa. Though if their interest is genuine they’ll have to act quickly as the Daily Mail have reported that Chelsea are also interested in acquiring his services.
Kagawa has been a vital part of Dortmund’s rise to prominence over the last couple of years. He’s a sprightly attacking midfielder known for his late runs into the opponent’s box and his knack for grabbing goals. In 43 appearances for Dortmund he’s scored an impressive 20 goals from midfield. He’s also made the step up to the Japanese National side making 29 appearances and scoring 9 goals.
He’s a clever footballer, with great feet and plenty of creativity. With goals and craft he could end up being a great and not all too costly addition to United’s midfield and at 23-years-old he would be around for many years to come.
Sir Alex is believed to have been interesting in Kagawa back in 2011 when he was playing for Cerezo Osaka, but a move never materialised. He ended up going to Dortmund, but it’s not clear that that’s where his long term future lies.
Contract talks with the Bundesliga side have stalled as it’s believed that Kagawa isn’t interested in signing a new deal with the club despite their willingness to double his paycheck. Speaking to German paper Bild, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc seemed resigned to losing the player:
“We would love to extend to his contract, but the ball is in his court. We know that he fancies a move to England or Spain. The question is at what point in time.”
Kagawa’s current contract runs out in 2013, so if Dortmund can’t get him to sign a new contract, they may be willing to let him go on the cheap this summer instead of losing him on a free the following year. Setanta rate him at £15m which would be a fair price for somebody who has proven himself to be a goalscorer at every level of the game.
Despite their success this season, it’s clear that Manchester United’s midfield could still use some work. Without being able to rely on Paul Scholes next season, they’ll need to add a little more attacking endeavour. To that extent Kagawa would be perfect. He may not be the big money signing many fans are clamouring for, but he may well be the right man for the job.
What’s your take? Would you like to see United spend big on a midfielder or would Kagawa make a good addition?
Follow @ThePerfectPass on Twitter for details on all the latest updates and various football-related musings.
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
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.
Javi Martinez, Shinji Kagawa and Aly Cissokho and I be happy 😛