The upcoming transition of Manchester United from the Louis van Gaal era to his disciple Jose Mourinho’s era has come as bad news for a host of players at the club and young Paddy McNair is definitely one of those. The Northern Irish international is likely to be shown the exit door from Old Trafford this summer although only on a season-loan and Celtic had been credited with a strong interest in the 21-year-old.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers did not dismiss the rumour which suggests that Celtic still holds a firm interest in the Manchester United outcast. Even though McNair took part in the Red Devils’ pre-season, he is likely to be shipped out on loan for a season to pick up his progress from where he left off in the 2014-15 season. One of Manchester United’s livewire in that season saw his development stalled last campaign due to injuries and lack of playing time.
The 21-year-old finds himself down in the pecking order right now and unlikely to get much playing time this season under Mourinho who has a wealth of options at his disposal. A loan move to Celtic will be highly beneficial for the player and the club. Once rated as the key figure at the club’s back line for plenty of years to follow, McNair can still have a big future at Old Trafford if he can develop himself as a player from his loan spell with the Hoops.
McNair is a total utility player, something Rodgers loves. The youngster started his career as a holding midfielder but gradually developed into a ball-playing centre back. His good pace and ability with the ball at his feet make him capable of doing a decent job if deployed as a right-back too.
The Scottish champions did reinforce their defensive ranks with the signing of veteran Kolo Toure but they would benefit from a versatile defender like McNair. All the Celtic central defenders were quite susceptible to injuries in the last campaign and adding another option at the heart of the defence won’t hurt their causes especially if Rodgers sticks to a 3-5-2 formation throughout the season.
Celtic lack quality covers for both Mikael Lustig and Nir Bitton. As McNair is well capable of plying his trade as both right-back and defensive midfielder, Celtic can feel relaxed about the fact that injuries won’t be able to exploit their lack of depth. All things added up, McNair would be an excellent addition to the Scottish champions.
