Former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic recently shared his thoughts on who the club should look to recruit in the summer. When asked about his opinion (by Stadium Astro) on whether the Red Devils should sign Toby Alderweireld (transcripted by Goal.com), Vidic said, “Of course, I would like to see him there.”
“But I think the club has to have a priority.
“What I see is, if you want to be in the Champions League next season and challenge for the Premier League, you have to strengthen the midfield.
“You need that depth in the midfield area.
“In defence, they already have five players, so they can rotate, and it seems like they’re doing well.
“Man United need a midfielder to go box-to-box.
“There has been a lot of criticism for the defenders, but if they are compared to other Premier League teams, Manchester United are not that bad.”
Vidic’s recent comments are quite interesting as he highlights the fact that the Red Devils have lacked depth in midfield this season. The Serbian wants his former side to opt for a ‘box-to-box midfielder’ as the club currently does not have too many players who are energetic at the middle of the park. Paul Pogba is world-class, but he is not the hardest worker in midfield. Nemanja Matic is too static at the centre of the park and is better of playing as a holding midfielder.
Only Ander Herrera has shown that he has what it takes to be a workhorse in midfield, but the Spaniard’s performances have been far too inconsistent to merit a regular start in the Man United first-team. It seems like Vidic could be right with his assessment so here are three midfield options for Ed Woodward to consider during the summer transfer period.
Tanguy Ndombélé
The French midfielder has lit up the Ligue 1 with a string of commanding displays for Olympique Lyonnais in midfield during this campaign. The 22-year-old has made 39 appearances for the French outfit this term, scoring two goals while grabbing seven assists across all competitions. He is a midfield powerhouse and will be an excellent fit for Man United as he will be able to form quite a formidable partnership alongside his international compatriot, Paul Pogba.
Franck Kessie
The AC Milan midfielder has somewhat flown under the radar this season. However, there is no doubt that he has managed to establish himself as a top performer at the San Siro thus far. He is highly versatile as he primarily operates as a midfielder but is equally capable of playing as a centre-back. Hence, Man United can kill two birds with one stone if they choose to go for the Serie A youngster next summer as he will add depth to both their midfield and defence.
Nicolo Barella
The Cagliari star has risen to prominence with some brilliant displays for his boyhood club this season. Barella is quite energetic and is willing to cover a lot of ground to ensure that his team can get a stranglehold in midfield. At 22, he is still very young and could be nurtured into a top talent if given a chance to prove his worth at Old Trafford next season.
