Manchester United’s summer didn’t exactly go according to David Moyes’ plans.
First his attempts to sign Thiago Alcantara were undone by Pep Guardiola, who brought him to Bayern Munich. Then his attempts to sign Cesc Fabregas were undone by a complete lack of interest from the player. Not a great start.
But the whole affair with Athletic Bilbao’s Ander Herrera was all the more embarrassing.
He was originally identified as a man who could bring some craft, endeavour and creativity to Manchester United’s midfield. The Red Devil’s midfield has lacked a spark for the best part of two years now and Herrera was viewed as the man who could fix all the issues.
Though United are believed to have lodged a bid for the 24-year-old Spaniard, they never met his £36m buy-out clause and a deal was never agreed.
Then followed the ‘impostor’ debacle, where three individuals claiming to be from Manchester United tried to tie up a deal for Herrera on deadline day. United later distanced themselves from this terrible trio. Oh dear!
Instead, David Moyes brought in Marouane Fellaini, an astute holding player, but one that lacks creativity.
Suffice to say, it’s far from ‘job done’ for Moyes, who will have to try and bring in a creative midfielder this January. But should he return for Ander Herrera, or has that ship already left the harbour?
According to Bilbao president Josu Urrutia, Manchester United have no chance of signing Herrera. Zip. Nada. Nil. Here’s his quotes:
“Ander has a contract until 2016 and the matter of whether he will leave is an issue that is now closed.” (Source: The Mirror)
That seems pretty definitive. There may be some that suggest that United could simply trigger Herrera’s release clause, but this doesn’t seem to be realistic possibility.
Can you really see David Moyes spending £36m on a youngster who is yet to prove himself at a big club?
He may well be the real deal. He could push on and become one of the best midfielders in the world. But he’s not quite there just yet and shouldn’t command that kind of price-tag.
If Athletic aren’t willing to sell at a lower price, there’s little United can do apart from steer clear. At this stage, that’s probably the best move for the club.
There are plenty of other fish and the sea and many of them are more affordable. Let’s hope that Moyes is already drawing up a list of potential targets.
What’s your take? Should Manchester United give up on Ander Herrera?
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