It looks like we’re facing the end of an era at Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson’s swift exit was always going to herald a great deal of change. But it’s still difficult to account for what’s going on with Manchester United’s defense at the moment.
Nemanja Vidic has already confirmed that he’s moving to Inter Milan in the summer. Rio Ferdinand looks likely to head to Old Trafford’s exit door when the transfer window re-opens. There have also been rumours concerning the futures of full-backs Patrice Evra and Rafael.
In other words, Manchester United could potentially lose an entire back four this summer. This could prove to be crippling for the club. If fans think this season has been bad, wait until they see the consequences of this summer play out over the next year or so.
Of course, there’s no point getting worked up just yet. If David Moyes secures the right replacements, this defensive exodus may not bring the club to its knees just yet.
This is why I’ve been following Manchester United’s links to FC Porto centre-back, Eliaquim Mangala with keen interest.
The French starlet is widely regarded to be one of the best young defenders in world football. He’s an athletic presence, with pace, power and energy. He’s also intelligent, knows where to position himself and usually wins everything in the air.
Considering that he’s just 23-years-old, it’s easy to see why Manchester United might be interested. Mangala could develop into a very special talent indeed over the next couple of years. He could prove to be as important for his next club as Rio Ferdinand has been for The Red Devils over the years.
As such, he won’t come cheap. GiveMeSport suggest that he has a 50m euros release clause written into his contract. That’s approximately £41.8m, an outrageous figure for a player who is still so young.
If Manchester United are interested, they’ll have to duke it out with Barcelona for his signature. If United don’t qualify for the Champions League next season, they’ll be poorly placed in this particular battle.
But I hope that David Moyes perseveres. If United are to find consistency again, they’ll need players like Mangala to make their mark at Old Trafford.
What’s your take? How should David Moyes deal with the upcoming defensive exodus at Manchester United? Should he sign up Eliaquim Mangala?
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