According to recent reports from French media outlet La Voix du Nord (paid subscription required), Manchester United are ‘very serious’ about signing RC Lens defender Facundo Medina as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems determined to add to his options at the back.
The report further states that the Red Devils are preparing an initial offer of around £11 million for the defender; however, there’s a possibility that he might immediately be loaned back to Lens until the end of the season.
Medina’s Solid Season At The Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Having come through the ranks at Argentine club River Plate, Facundo Medina signed for Talleres de Cordoba in January 2018. He made 37 appearances over the course of three seasons at the club as he established himself as one of the best young defenders in Superliga. A series of impressive performances attracted major attention from a number of European clubs, and it was finally in the summer of 2020 that he decided to leave CA Talleres for Ligue 1 side RC Lens for a fee of around £3 million.
It’ll be an understatement to say that the 21-year-old centre-back has hit the ground running at his new club. Going by the numbers, Medina averages 1.6 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per 90 minutes in the French top division (calculated over 11 appearances). While the numbers might not impress you at the very first sight, his contributions have greatly helped the Sang et achieve consistency in the league after gaining promotion this season.
With a pass success rate of 85.9%, Medina’s ability and composure on the ball are way ahead of his years. His versatility across the backline means he can take command of the left side of the pitch in his own half, allowing him to play as a left centre-back and left-back. Even though he struggles a bit when it comes to strength and physicality, the youngster’s central strength lies in reading the game as he possesses the ability to intercept passes into the final third, thus neutralising the potential threats.
Flipping over to his weaknesses, perhaps it’s the aggression that needs to be worked upon in the coming years. With 5 yellow cards in 10 league starts, the centre-back often finds himself in trouble due to mistimed tackles.
Right Choice For The Red Devils?
Well, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been left impressed by the current form of his defenders – with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Eric Bailly all giving their best to help United stay in the title run.
At the same time, it’s one of the departments where the Norwegian coach needs to bring in some quality re-enforcements – and Medina fits the bill. An injury or two might give rise to a heap of troubles at the club, so a move for the Ligue 1 starlet makes perfect sense. Allowing the youngster to continue with his developments at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis for another six months and then easing him in via the U-23’s would be a great move as the Premier League is certainly a huge step up from the French top division.
At 21, Medina will only get better with each passing season and can be the ideal man to partner skipper Harry Maguire in the long-run, so Solskjaer should definitely try and get this deal over the line, be it this month or in the next transfer window.
(Stats from WhoScored)
