Manchester United are reportedly close to a permanent deal for Benfica midfielder, Anderson Talisca. The Portuguese outfit are already holding negotiations with Jose Mourinho and his backroom staff which could eventually see the player be signed over for as much as £35m.
Talisca is currently serving a loan spell with Turkish side, Besiktas and has caught the eye of many admirers with his stints in the UEFA Champions League. The 24-year-old was a key figure in Besiktas’ impressive campaign to reach the Round of 16 stage of the continental competition. In the current season, Talisca has racked up 16 goals and 4 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.
Talisca had a brief stint in the Vasco academy before making a name for himself at Bahia winning the Campeonato Baiano in 2014. Benfica did not waste any time in snapping up the influential midfielder and was rewarded with back to back league titles and Portuguese Cup trophies. Unfortunately, the relationship between the player and club board had soured at the time and a switch to a different club was the only way to ensure first-team football.
The 6 feet 3 inches tall, attacking midfielder is a nightmare for opposition defenders. Talisca is difficult to dispossess, rarely loses aerial duels and is like a steam train when making forward runs. It takes quite a bit of effort to get in his way once he gets going.
His versatility at the heart of the park is one the best qualities which makes him ripe for pickup. He has played in the number ten role for the Turkish giants over the course of the season but his physical presence makes him a more effective candidate in the anchor role similar to that of what Yaya Toure has portrayed in the past for Manchester City.
Mourinho has deployed the combination of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay in the playmaking role from the central positions. However, their backups, Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick has hardly featured in recent times with Marouane Fellaini’s contract closing in towards expiration.
On Fellaini’s absence, Herrera was expected to fill out the void with Michael Carrick as the backup option but to everyone’s surprise, McTominay has turned out to be the regular starter.
Carrick has already announced his retirement following the 2017/18 season and Fellaini will be out of contract in the summer. Talisca is a prime candidate to replace the departing duo and can be the right fit in Mourinho’s defensive system.
His arrival will allow a midfield balance with Pogba with Matic filling in the defensive role. The French international can switch with Talisca on both ends of the pitch and formulate United’s attacks with plenty of creative talent up ready for use.
