It’s a well documented fact that Manchester United are short on options at the back. What’s most disappointing is that Louis Van Gaal must have realised that his team lacked balanced before the January transfer window.
He was aware that The Red Devils had let go of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra in the summer. Did he really think that the likes of Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw would be able to replace that experienced trio? These players were hardly like-for-like replacements. What’s more, Luke Shaw is only 19-years-old. To place so much trust in him was foolish to say the least.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Manchester United ‘are set to win the race’ for Athletic Bilbao’s highly-regarded centre-back, Aymeric Laporte. Van Gaal may have failed to do enough during the summer, but at least he’s already making plans ahead of the January transfer window. Hopefully he’ll be ready to pull the trigger the moment that the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve.
The source claims that Laporte is a Manchester United fan, which should help to Van Gaal and co. to close the deal. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that the young Frenchman is going to come cheap. He’s got a £32m release clause written into his Bilbao contract and The Red Devils will probably have to meet this to get their man.
That’s a lot of money to spend on a player who’s only 20-years-old, but there’s no doubting that he’s an exciting talent. He’s tall, strong in the air, hard-working and he’s tough in the tackle. Most importantly, he’s got a good footballing brain and he positions himself well. It’s easy enough to see him fitting in neatly into a Premier League side.
It’s scary to think how good Laporte could be in three or four years time. He could well blossom into one of the best defenders in the world. That’s why he’s worth the investment. Let’s hope that Louis Van Gaal feels the same way.
What’s your take? Is this £32m star the right choice for The Red Devils?
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