Whilst there’s been a lot of fuss in the Manchester United camp about Juan Mata, I’m sure fans will be interested to find out whether the club is on the hunt for a centre-back.
Defenders may not be quite as glamorous as big money midfielders, but the Red Devils do have a rather pressing need.
Manchester United’s most experienced defenders have been conspicuous by their absence over the last couple of seasons. Nemanja Vidic, in particular, has struggled with a number of different injury problems and one wonders if his best days are behind him as a result.
The Serbian rock has been unable to put a meaningful run of games together for some time (he played just 10 times in 2011-12 and 23 times last season). Sure, he’s already made 21 appearances this year but there will always be the worry that his knee injury will play up again.
Then there’s Rio Ferdinand, who’s now 35-years-old. Whilst centre-backs often have a longer shelf-life than your typical outfield footballer, a club like Manchester United needs to be wary here. If they want to challenge for the Premier League title next season, they’ll need a defence that doesn’t crumble under pressure and doesn’t tire as the game goes on.
Relying on this duo would be foolish. Whilst Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling are decent enough options, I can’t help but hope that David Moyes extends his hand into the January transfer window and plucks up a centre-back.
As it happens, there’s been a fair few rumours concerning Dante, a Brazilian centre-back who has spent the last two seasons at Bayern Munich, following a move from Borussia Monchengladbach. The Mirror even carry the following quotes from the player, which suggest a move could well be in the offing:
When asked if he was signing for Manchester United, Dante responded: “Not yet. I’m thankful for the Manchester United interest, it will all be sorted out by the end of the month.”
Not yet, eh? That’s a very different answer to ‘No, it’s not happening’, isn’t it?
A different article in The Mirror suggests that Dante could set Manchester United back as little as £7m. That would represent a genuine bargain for a player who has experience at every level. He’s a tough individual, with plenty of energy and is capable of some decent distribution from the back.
As such, he’d make for both a good and an affordable solution.
What’s your take? Is Dante a good fit for Manchester United?
If any chance of signing Dante is available this winter then, David Moyes should not allow it to slip away.
Securing the signature of a defender like Dante will add a greater strength to the United defence line.