Numerous reports are claiming that Jose Mourinho is plotting a desperate move to sign AS Roma defender Antonio Rudiger in a last ditch attempt to save Manchester United’s horrendous season. Mourinho had brought in Eric Baily this summer, who has had a decent start to his Premier League campaign before getting a knee injury, which will keep him out for 2 months.
Sportsmail have also reported that Manchester United will be facing tough competition from rivals Chelsea to sign the 23-year-old German, who has just moved from VfB Stuttgart to AS Roma for 9 million pounds last summer after a one-year loan. Rudiger has just started 2 games for AS Roma till now and is yet to show his potential in the Serie A.
United’s have struggled defensively as they have lacked the consistency. The humiliating defeat at the hands of Chelsea showed that their defenders might not be suitable to take Jose’s project forward. With United losing Baily recently, they have also seen the return of Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo but are yet to find the perfect balance at the back.
Towering at 190 cm and armed with good pace, Rudiger is very much alike Eric Baily, who with his strong build and height could be a perfect option for any English Premier League club. He has already bagged 4 caps for his international team and looks a promising player in the defence.
He was also included in Low’s squad in the Euros but his stay was cut short by cruciate ligament injury. Many are of the opinion that Low favours the young central defender more than Jerome Boateng but the former Stuttgart man has had his injury problems in the recent past which have stopped him from progressing.
He is still at an early stage and would be needing much more game time before breaking into the squad, but his agility on the tackles and aerial prowess makes him a serious threat from indirect set pieces will surely earn him a place in big clubs if he continues to develop.
Both Manchester United and Chelsea would be ideal destinations for the German but sources say Mourinho is plotting a big money move for him that will leave Chelsea behind. However, a chance in the first team is not guaranteed for him straight away as United already have options in Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Eric Baily in the position, which will make it quite difficult for Rudiger to get an easy start.
Another threat for Rudiger would be his weakness in holding the ball. He has often seen losing the ball in his half. He is far from the finished article, but Jose has made some shrewd decisions like signing Varane and Zouma during his stints at Real Madrid and Chelsea, so Rudiger might turn out to be a good buy if at all he signs for the club
