Why Jose Mourinho could commit a blunder by signing Lorenzo Pellegrini

According to The Sun, Manchester United are set to make a move for AS Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini in the January transfer window. The Red Devils haven’t kicked off their season in the most spectacular manner, having suffered a 3-2 defeat to Brighton And Hove Albion following an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Leicester City on opening day.

Manchester United didn’t have the best of transfer seasons either with the club failing to land most of their summer targets, leaving Jose Mourinho quite frustrated. It was a quiet transfer window for the Red Devils despite landing the likes of Fred, Lee Grant and Diogo Dalot.

But Mourinho must reassemble his team to get his campaign back on track. The Manchester outfit must show significant improvement after their previous showings. But is signing Pellegrini the right move?

Lorenzo Pellegrini is a graduate of the Roma academy. The midfield maestro was sold to Sassuolo in 2015 with a buy-back clause, which allowed Roma to re-purchase the player at a future stage. After two fruitful seasons for Sassuolo where he made 54 appearances and scored 11 goals, Roma exercised their buy-back clause and signed the player.

A central midfielder by trade, Pellegrini has the ability to play as a deep-lying playmaker. He is well-known for his technical abilities which allow him to keep the ball at his feet comfortably. The 22-year-old has a good range of passing and can find his teammates with incisive through balls. Blessed with good vision, the youngster is capable of switching play and is also adept at dictating terms in the middle of the park.

The Italian often ventures up front, utilizing his nimble feet to weave through narrow openings in the attacking third.

However, as evident from the games this season, United have been unable to create too many goalscoring chances. Their attacking play from the wings have looked pretty ordinary, to say the least, sometimes even non-existent. With the club visibly in dire need of out-and-out attackers, the move to sign Lorenzo Pellegrini does not make sense.

United already have the likes of Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Nemanja Matic in their squad. To buy another central midfielder would be like adding more water to an ocean. While Fellaini provides a solid aerial presence throughout the park, Pogba often plays multiple roles in the middle of the park. And in Matic, United have the perfect central midfielder who is capable of working wonders for the team in terms of the attack as well as the defence.

Should there be an injury to the regulars, United have the luxury of calling upon the services of young Scott McTominay, who is another player capable being deployed either as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder.

Although Pellegrini has all the makings of becoming an excellent midfielder as his career progresses, the youngster lacks the physicality to make an impact in the Premier League. Standing at 6ft 2 inches with a lean physique, the Italian could be dominated by stronger opponents in the centre of the park. He lacks pace and acceleration, which is indispensable for the transition of play in the English top-flight. Besides that, the 22-year-old is not the best when it comes to competing for aerial challenges.

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Even if United manage to lure him to Old Trafford, he would be no match for Pogba, Fellaini, and Matic. In fact, he could find it tough to break into the first-team picture. That said, Jose Mourinho should change his plans and splash the cash to buy either a centre-back or a winger instead.