£36.5m talent ‘wants’ Manchester United move: should Van Gaal make it happen?

It has to be said: Louis Van Gaal has inherited a distinctly average Manchester United squad. Whilst it’s still strong in certain areas of the squad, there are other areas that need a significant work. Take, for instance, their defence which is currently severely lacking in options.

With both Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand exiting the club this summer, The Red Devils are losing two of their most experienced (and best) defenders. The fact that they both play in the same position just confounds the issue. It’s certainly something that Louis Van Gaal is going to have to look at. Let’s just hope he’s given the proper financial backing.

This brings me to The Mirror‘s claim that Manchester United are still in the market for FC Porto’s superstar centre-back, Eliaquim Mangala. The French hot-shot has quickly developed a reputation for being one of world-football’s most impressive young defensive talents.

The 23-year-old is quick along the ground, strong in the tackle and decent in the air. He’s also pretty comfortable with the ball at his feet and his distribution is good. He could well develop into a good replacement for Rio Ferdinand.

Luckily enough, the aforementioned source claims that Mangala is keen on a move to Old Trafford. It’s thought that he has told friends that he would prefer to move to Manchester United rather than Manchester City. Did he not watch any Premier League football last year?

Whilst Manchester United have got the player on side, they’ll still need to persuade FC Porto to sell. They may even need to be prepared to trigger the Frenchman’s £36.5m release clause. Quality doesn’t come cheap does it?

If Manchester United are looking for a ready-made solution to their defensive crisis, it’s hard to look past Eliaquim Mangala. He’s one of the best young defenders on the market and The Red Devils simply can’t afford to take a budget option at this moment in time. Let’s just hope that the top brass are prepared to splash the cash.

What’s your take? Should Manchester United keep on chasing Eliaquim Mangala?

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