Why Manchester United must avoid signing Blaise Matuidi in the summer
According to Italian publication Calciomercato (h/t The Express), Manchester United are one of the clubs interested in signing Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
Juventus recently tied Blaise Matuidi, 32, down to a new deal. His current contract was set to expire this summer but the Old Lady will now avoid the Frenchman walking away for free. (h/t The Express)
Matuidi arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for £27.8million and has so far played 118 times for Juventus in all competitions. He has made 22 Serie A appearances under Maurizio Sarri this season, assisting twice. However, despite, Juventus exercising a one-year contract in the midfielder’s signature, the report (h/t The Express) adds Arsenal and Lyon are also keeping tabs on him.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have endured an inconsistent campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Yet, they are fifth in the table, only three points off fourth-placed Chelsea. Solskjaer’s side has been hamstrung by injuries to key players such as Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay.
While McTominay has returned from his injury, Pogba and Rashford remain on the sidelines. The one position that needs strengthening more than ever right now for the Red Devils is the midfield, despite Solskjaer managing to bring in Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January.
In McTominay’s injury absence, Fred and Nemanja Matic had built a good understanding between them in the middle of the park, but with Matic out of contract at the end of the season and the club looking to offload Pogba in the summer amidst Real Madrid interest (h/t The Metro), signing a midfielder should be prioritised ahead of the 2020/21 season. Having said that, however, United must avoid signing Blaise Matuidi.
Matuidi is a highly experienced player who played 295 games for PSG before signing for Juventus. He has played close to 120 games for the Italian giants, whilst representing France 84 times as well. The Frenchman is a serial winner, having won 16 trophies with PSG, four with Juventus and the 2018 World Cup with France.
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Nevertheless, Matuidi is not quite the player he once was and he’ll be 33 in April, so he’s entering the twilight of his career. He’s clearly past his prime and isn’t a long-term option for Solskjaer, who is rebuilding the club currently and has clearly relied on youngsters and academy products.
Verdict
Matuidi may be an experienced midfielder with winning mentality but he isn’t the best option for Manchester United. So the Red Devils must stay away from the Juventus star.
