Why Manchester United should snap up this £6m Dutch ace:

David Moyes spent a lot of time last year trying to bolster his midfield. The Red Devils were criticized on a fairly regular basis, for lacking threat in this area of the pitch. Their current crop of midfielders seems to move the ball about too slowly and they just don’t seem to hit the right areas on a regular enough basis.

That’s why players like Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini were brought in. At the time, they looked like a good solution: two attacking-minded midfielders with great track records. Unfortunately, they’ve failed to produce the goods. Whilst they’ve only had a season at Old Trafford, they’ve both disappointed to varying degrees.

So perhaps the problem isn’t with the personnel involved in United’s midfield, but rather with the way its set-up. Perhaps The Red Devils just need to provide their technically gifted midfielders with more space and time on the ball. Would Manchester United be more effective with a midfield enforcer type? A Roy Keane type? A can’t help but think so.

This brings me to The Mirror‘s claim that Manchester United’s new boss, Louis Van Gaal is keen to ‘pursue’ a £6m deal for Dutch defensive midfielder, Nigel de Jong. Of course, the two men know each other well. Van Gaal is De Jong’s manager at International level. If he wants to bring him over to Old Trafford when he’s done with the Dutch national side, it’s because he’s seen enough of his ability and attitude to decide that he warrants a move.

In other words, there are very few men in world football who are more capable of deciding whether De Jong would be a good fit for Manchester United. Yes, he has a history with Manchester City, but this probably stands in De Jong’s favour. City may be one of United’s biggest rivals, but his time there simply means that he’ll come complete with a bag-load of Premier League experience.

You don’t get 74 caps for your country and first team roles at clubs like Ajax, Man City and Milan without having something special about your game. Let’s hope that United tap into his ability this summer.

What’s your take? Is Nigel De Jong the right man for Manchester United?

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