Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly prepared to go head to head with neighbours Manchester City for the signature of Bayern Munich defender David Alaba. After a somewhat shaky start to this season, the Red Devils have had their fair share of problems in their defence and in their last match against Arsenal at Old Trafford, the hosts failed to stop one of the rare Arsenal attacks down the left-hand channel which yielded a goal at the late stages of the game to deprive the team of a win and the three points.
To be fair, the left-hand side of the defence has been a problem which needs fixing after some inconsistent performances by Daley Blind which has included some costly mistakes.
Luke Shaw, spends more time on the treatment table than on training and Marcos Rojo has failed to establish himself as a player capable of producing top draw performances consistently with doubts still hovering on the mind of many about his suitability as a top left back.
Alaba, who is extremely versatile can play in a host of positions including the position at left back. Manchester United has already scouted him twice recently while the player was on international duty.
With the 24-year-old being shifted to play as the defensive midfielder for Austria on a regular basis, Jose Mourinho would also have the option of utilising him in that position with Michael Carrick potentially moving on in January or at the end of the season.
Having a player like Alaba in the defensive midfield can bring solidity as well as creativity to the team. The Austrian is an excellent passer of the ball with brilliant tactical knowledge which he utilises on the pitch in a way that liberates the forward players.
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Manchester United’s record transfer Paul Pogba will instantly become a lot more functional and effective with Alaba in behind as it would ensure a much better quality and frequency of supply of balls forward from the deep.
At the age of 24, Alaba also has plenty of football left in the tank. Having been a footballing prodigy, he is already highly experienced at the demanding levels of the Champions League and Bundesliga. He had already won the Champions League as a teenager, and as the star man for his country, he has 50 caps at the international level.
There’s absolutely no doubt that signing a player of his stature would be a huge boost for any of the two Manchester sides as he can make the difference in a season which is already turning out to be the most competitive ever.
