Lars Bender
Whilst eyes outside of Germany may have been paying more attention to his twin brother Sven at Borussia Dortmund, Lars Bender was quietly plying away at Bayer Leverkusen doing an all together much better job.
Andre Schurrle may have been snapped up by Chelsea for his sparkling performances in the final third, but that was probably fine by most Leverkusen fans. The last thing they would want is foreign praise being heaped upon who was perhaps the most crucial member of their third place-finishing squad last season.
Whilst not as ambitious an attacker as some of United’s other targets, Bender still managed six assists in the Bundesliga last season – and when a midfielder is as exceptional defensively as Bender, any number of assists is a bonus.
Bender averaged 4.1 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game, almost four times as many as Fàbregas, and more than starting Leverkusen centre-back pairing Philipp Wollscheid and Omer Toprak combined. If United aim to match City’s watertight defence, Bender is the clear choice.
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