Why Marten de Roon would be a good signing for Manchester City
According to 90min (h/t The Sun) back in December, Manchester City are among a host of top clubs in Europe chasing Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon.
The Cityzens are expected to face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham in pursuit of the Dutch international while AC Milan and Barcelona are also understood to be in the mix for the former Middlesbrough enforcer. However, it is understood that Pep Guardiola’s side are not planning to make a move for de Roon before next summer. (Corriere Dello Sport h/t The Sun)
The 29-year-old joined Atalanta for the first time in 2015 after rising to prominence with Sparta Rotterdam and Heerenveen. An impressive debut season in the Serie A paved the way for a move to the Premier League with newly-promoted Middlesbrough in 2016. De Roon scored 4 times in 33 league appearances and was one of the brightest sparks of Boro’s unsuccessful battle against relegation in the 2016-17 campaign.
De Roon rejoined Atalanta immediately after Middlesbrough’s relegation and has reached great heights during his second stint at Bergamo. The Dutchman was instrumental as the Italian outfit finished 3rd in the Serie A and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, featuring 45 times in all competitions.
He has been equally impressive this term as well, helping his club progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League. De Roon has made a total of 191 appearances for Atalanta over two spells combined, registering 11 goals and 12 assists in the process. The defensive midfielder has also earned 20 caps for the Netherlands at the senior international level.
Meanwhile, Man City can certainly do with some fresh additions to their midfield next summer. Fernandinho is set to turn 36 in May and is out of contract at the end of the season. It’s unclear whether he will be offered an extension at the Etihad but the Brazilian is unlikely to be a regular starter for Guardiola week in, week out, given his advancing years.
The Cityzens did fork out a club-record fee to sign Rodri from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019. The Spaniard has established himself as a key cog in Man City’s midfield and looks more than capable of living up to the expectations as Fernandinho’s long-term successor in the holding midfield role.
However, a potential departure for Fernandinho would certainly deal a blow to City’s depth and variety in midfield. Making a move for Marten de Roon, to that end, would help Guardiola cope with the Brazilian’s exit.
The Dutchman has been instrumental in Atalanta’s recent successes, both in the Serie A and in the Champions League. Furthermore, his past exploits in the Premier League at Middlesbrough should also convince City that he’s more than capable of delivering the goods at this level.
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Verdict
Man City should ideally look for a young up and coming midfielder to compete with Rodri in the coming seasons. However, taking a punt on Marten de Roon would still make a lot of sense in footballing terms. The Dutchman has the experience and the all-round game to establish himself in Guardiola’s three-man midfield in a possession-based system.
The 29-year-old still has a lot to offer and City beating off competition in the race to sign him would pay off handsomely as they look to cope with Fernandinho’s imminent departure.
