Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend was a show-case for the club’s new-found focus on defensive solidarity. They’ve spent the early parts of this season leaking goals, but were much better disciplined during their most recent Premier League outing.
If they can keep this up and get their strikers firing, there’s no reason why they can’t finish in the top four this season.
Still, there are much tougher challenges ahead for this Manchester United side. At this moment in time I’m not sure that The Red Devils have the defensive personnel necessary to overcome the obstacles that await the club.
Having spent big on attacking options during the summer, there’s a good chance that Louis Van Gaal will focus on his defense this January. Let’s just hope that he’s still got enough money left over in his kitty to make a real impact in the market.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Manchester United have their eyes trained on Athletic Bilbao’s top young centre-back, Aymeric Laporte. Could this Spanish ace be the answer to Louis Van Gaal’s problems?
The 20-year-old is a huge, lumbering presence (he’s 6 foot 2 inches tall), who’s proven to be a revelation in La Liga. In 59 appearances for Bilbao, Laporte has managed to prove himself against players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He works hard, wins a lot in the air and covers a lot of ground.
Like a lot of Manchester United players from years gone by, he’s also good at distributing the ball from the back. It’s easy enough to see him making an impact in the Premier League.
What’s most exciting about Aymeric Laporte is that he’s still so young. If he’s this talented at just 20-years-old, how good is he going to be in two or three seasons time?
Now looks like the right time for Manchester United to make their move. The aforementioned source claims that Bilbao will ‘likely let Laporte leave’. If that doesn’t give Louis Van Gaal impetus to act, I’m not sure what will.
What’s your take? Should The Red Devils swoop in for Aymeric Laporte?
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