Manchester United Opinion: Why the Red Devils should sign Marcos Llorente
According to a report from Spanish news outlet AS, Manchester United and Arsenal have both made offers to sign Real Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente.
The Spaniard, 24, has struggled to establish himself at the Santiago Bernabeu, playing just six games all season. In fact, he has managed just two appearances since Zinedine Zidane replaced Santiago Solari.
Zidane has told Marcos Llorente his week that he has no future at Real Madrid, alerting the Premier League duo Manchester United and Arsenal. Both the clubs are interested in bringing the defensive midfielder to the Premier League and have made proposals to the player, who is contracted at Madrid until 2021.
That being said, Manchester United should do everything to beat Arsenal to Llorente’s signature in the summer.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already addressed in the media that his club will be smart in their transfer business this summer. He is expected to have a busy transfer window, with the Red Devils’ squad in desperate need of improvement.
Transfers in recent years have often been for big, high profile, names, like Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba, and it’s often not worked out. Hence, the need to change the system of recruitment will be welcomed among the United fans, who have had a terrible time watching their team this season.
Reinforcements are needed in almost every area of the pitch, but most importantly, Solskjaer must bolster his midfield options over the summer. Ander Herrera and Juan Mata are coming to end of their contracts in June, while Paul Pogba’s future remains up in the air.
Fred hasn’t done enough to impress in his debut season at Old Trafford and with Nemanja Matic set to turn 31 in August, United desperately need young, fresh blood in the engine room.
After a season of underwhelming performances and an ill-fated spell of injuries, it’s time for Solskjaer to find a replacement for the ageing Matic. And a player like Marcos Llorente would fit the bill perfectly at Old Trafford.
Llorente hasn’t been able to make a big impact at Madrid this season, but there is potential in him to be a key player for years to come. The Spaniard is a defensive midfielder by trade, known for his passing, work-rate and interceptions skills. His positional play and innate understanding of the game would make him a solid fit in Solskjaer’s system.
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The 24-year-old as a strong defensive game, carries the ball well, while also contributing creativity from midfield and most importantly, comfortable in a 4-3-3. Such qualities could mean Llorente replaces Matic in the holding role next season and allows the likes of McTominay and Fred or Pereira the license to build attacks from midfield.
Verdict
As Solskjaer mentioned, United need to recruit clever to bridge the gap between themselves and the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Llorente has to be one of the signings in the summer to help the Red Devils return to the heights expected.
