Five alternatives to Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas for Manchester United.
David Moyes hasn’t had the easiest of starts to life in Manchester. The transition from Everton to United was never going to be easy, but it’s hard to imagine Moyes would have anticipated such trials and tribulations before the Premier League season has even started: The ongoing saga with Wayne Rooney, losses to the Singha All Star XI and Yokohama F. Marinos, and now a third rebutted bid from Barcelona for Cesc Fàbregas.
United fans need not fear quite yet though – this is approximately the umpteenth time their team has looked set to start the season without a fully equipped midfield, and it’s always worked out just fine. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at five viable alternatives to plug that Fabregas shaped hole in Moyes’ midfield.
Ilkay Gundogan
If you hadn’t heard of Gundogan before Dortmund’s Champions League heroics last season you’d be forgiven. You’d probably have even been in the majority. But their captivating run in Europe’s premier competition brought a hidden gem to the attention of the whole world.
Gundogan proved himself to be an excellent reader of the game, succinct passer and firm yet precise tackler. So good were his performances over the past two seasons that he even claimed Dortmund club captain Sebastian Kehl’s position in the starting XI.
In 26 league appearances last season, Gundogan averaged 2.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per match. For comparison, his generally outstanding teammate Neven Subotić only averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game – at centreback.
Add to the mix Gundogan’s average 6.2 accurate long balls per game and the fact that he’s only 22-years-old and you have player who could be truly fearsome for Manchester United.
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