The 2016-17 campaign had been quite a fruitful one for Manchester United, for they clinched two silverwares in the form of EFL Cup and Europa League, with the latter granting them a place in the Champions League in the upcoming season.
However, they would be keen to find a strong footing in the Premier League in the upcoming season, after having finished 6th in the league table with 69 points in the season which just concluded. This implies that they do have to improve substantially if they are to mount any sort of substantial challenge for the English top flight title next season.
One of the major points of concern for Jose Mourinho would be to keep the group cohesion of his troops intact and with the latest report stating that Barcelona and Valencia are plotting to lure Ander Herrera out of the Old Trafford, it should be a worrying sign for the club.
Herrera was one of the most influential figures in the middle of the park for the Red Devils last season and it goes without saying that other big clubs of the continent were always going to monitor him once the curtains of the summer transfer window were to get lifted. Mourinho must resist the temptation to strike him off his books owing to the calibre and productivity that he has shown.
Herrera is a shrewd creative outlet with his wide and precise passing range, ability to break defences apart and excellent imagination being his strongest suits. It has always been intriguing to see him making crisp passes and movements despite being under hostile circumstances and let’s not forget that he is a prolific ball winner and creates ample amount of chances for his side.
In 31 Premier League appearances last season, the Spaniard bagged one goal and carved six assists to his name with a staggering pass accuracy of 87.6% which certainly gives us testaments of his value.
The 27-year-old is an all-round midfielder who contributes a lot as far as the defensive duties are concerned. He clocked 2.7 tackles, 2.6 interceptions, 1.6 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game on an average in the Premier League last season and his appealing maturity in reading the game meticulously haven’t gone unnoticed.
At this stroke of the hour, the former Chelsea manager is in the process of constructing a ruthless side for himself to take the club forward and selling Herrera would be an outright foolish act. Instead, he should be one of his main men for Mourinho while dishing out his tactical nous next season.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.com
