Why Man United need not push too hard for Uros Racic
According to The Sun, Manchester United are weighing up a move for Serbian midfielder Uros Racic, who currently plies his trade with Valencia in the Spanish top-flight.
As per the report, the 22-year-old has a mammoth release clause of £92m inserted into his contract at Mestalla that runs until 2022. However, with the La Liga outfit struggling to cope with a financial crisis in the post-pandemic market, a fee of around £28m could be enough to tempt them into selling Racic.
The towering central midfielder idolises Red Devils star Paul Pogba and has often been compared to Nemanja Matic in his homeland. (h/t The Sun)
Profile
Uros Racic completed his footballing education at OFK Beograd in his native Serbia before signing for domestic heavyweights Red Star Belgrade in 2016. The 22-year-old made 45 appearances for Red Star in all competitions, also featuring in the Europa League, before earning a move to Valencia in the summer of 2018.
However, he has struggled to establish himself at Valencia, making only two first-team appearances so far. Racic spent the second half of the 2018-19 campaign on loan at Tenerife in the Spanish second-tier and was subsequently loaned out to Portuguese top-flight outfit Famalicao last summer.
The Serbian U-21 international made 39 appearances in all competitions while on loan at Famalicao last term, registering 3 goals and 2 assists in the process. (h/t Transfermarkt)
United already have enough cover in central midfield
Manchester United grabbed the headlines earlier this summer with the £40m transfer of Donny van de Beek from Ajax as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sought to add more quality to an already well-stocked midfield unit at Old Trafford.
Van de Beek’s versatility to play in attacking, box-to-box and defensive roles in the middle of the park comes as a massive boost to United’s squad dynamics.
Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes struck up an excellent partnership in the middle of the park towards the back end of the previous campaign. And with van de Beek now joining the ranks, the Red Devils boast a world-class midfield unit with plenty of creative pedigree.
Add to that the more defensive-minded midfielders like Nemanja Matic, Fred, and Scott McTominay and it’s easy to see that United already have stiff competition for places in the middle.
So, it is hard to comprehend how an unproven talent like Uros Racic would fit into Solskjaer’s plans at Old Trafford. Despite all his talent and potential, the 22-year-old has only played a handful of games in senior football. Plus, his struggles at Valencia raises further questions over his ability to thrive at the highest level in Europe.
Moreover, United already have some exciting academy prospects like James Garner, Dylan Levitt, and Ethan Galbraith trying to make a name for themselves at Old Trafford. And a potential deal for Racic would only block their pathway to the first-team.
Read more
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Verdict
Taking into account all the aforementioned factors, Man United clearly don’t need another midfielder, having already spent a fortune on Fernandes and van de Beek in recent windows.
Uros Racic doesn’t seem to have the quality or the experience to penetrate United’s world-class midfield, at least, for the time being. Either way, it’s not a department where the Red Devils are in any desperate need of further reinforcements.
