Manchester United are looking for that one big signing this summer in order to make a statement that they’re not willing to take a step back under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Whilst most attention will be on what they’re going to do with their back line, an under the radar signing like this would be a perfect addition to the squad. Man Utd are set to battle it out with Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur for Real Betis star Giovani Lo Celso. Spurs have already submitted a €60m bid for the midfielder, but Betis are hoping to start a bidding war for their young star. Odds have been cut with both Spurs and United making reported bids so you want to take advantage of the Coral Code to get best value today.
The 23-year-old Argentinian spent last season on loan at Betis from Paris Saint-Germain and although the Spanish club made the move permanent in April, his performances have done enough to gather the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.
In Lo Celso, they would be getting the perfect defensive midfielder. He encompasses a lot of what Manchester United’s great midfielders in the past brought to the team. He can bring the ball out of defence like Michael Carrick, he can spot a pass like Paul Scholes, he can run like Ryan Giggs, he can track back and make a tackle like Roy Keane. Add to that, after scoring 16 goals in all competitions this season for Betis, he’s also got an eye for finding the net like Bryan Robson.
So given that he’s such an all rounded player, the question then becomes, where do you put him and who do you put with him? You can either place him in front of the back four, acting as a shield. Or you can push him further up the field slightly and have him sat next to Paul Pogba. I personally think that he’d be better suited pushed up the field, because although he’s good at defending, he’s much better bringing the ball through midfield and causing havoc further up the park.
If Manchester United are indeed set on keeping Paul Pogba this summer, and most reports indicate that they will, then they will make an excellent midfield duo. Add to that the prospect of Nemanja Matic shielding the back four behind them, and Man Utd are well on their way to becoming a force again. Teams won’t know who to cover between the two of them, and if you shut down one of them, then the other will tear you apart. Much in the same way you couldn’t keep track of all of Barcelona’s front three of Messi, Suarez & Neymar, just not on as grand a scale.
This signing would go some way to solving what is slowly becoming a crisis at Old Trafford, and although there is still a lot of work to be done, a signing like this will be an excellent step in the right direction for a club that desperately needs to work out where it’s going.
