Manchester United are in complete shambles at the moment. A 3-1 loss to West Ham United in London has left the club 10th in the league. But the problems started way back in summer when United failed to sign a single centre-back. A recent report by the Mirror has linked Gary Cahill with a shock move to Manchester United.
Cahill arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2012 and has been one of the stalwarts for the Blues ever since. His first coming-of-age season was under the leadership of Jose Mourinho. In the 2013/14 term, he was included in the PFA Team of the Year as Chelsea finished third in the league.
The next season, Cahill formed a rock-solid partnership with John Terry for Mourinho’s men as Chelsea won their fourth-ever Premier League title. Even after Antonio Conte’s arrival and Terry’s decline, Cahill remained as the leader of the side and helped Chelsea win the 2016/17 title by playing 36 out of 38 Premier League games.
But in the last season, Chelsea recruited Antonio Rudiger and Cahill was pushed on to the sidelines. He started only 34 games in all competitions and as a result, lost his starting berth in the England squad as well.
The new season under Maurizio Sarri hasn’t been kind to the veteran defender as he has only made a single appearance in the League Cup so far. David Luiz and Rudiger are performing well consistently and Andreas Christensen is the first-choice backup option. Hence, Cahill’s minutes have heavily reduced.
On paper, signing Cahill does seem like a good choice for United. But do the Red Devils really want a 32-year-old to lead their backline?
The idea of Mourinho’s reunion with one of his trusted generals from Chelsea is just romantic. However, it is not realistic. Cahill is experienced but he is certainly not a long-term solution. He could prove to be a stop-gap solution for now but United must invest in a solid centre-back.
If United are to get out of this mess, they must plan a way out by scouting and signing the right players. And they certainly can’t do that by signing a third-choice centre-back who is already on a decline. There are more talented and younger players than Cahill and Mourinho must target those players instead.
