The Athletic Club ace looks set for a switch to Old Trafford.
If wide reports from the British press are to be believed, then Manchester United are on the verge of completing the transfer of Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera.
The Times reports that the Red Devils will pay £28.8m for the services of the Spaniard and with so much financial outlay we thought it was only right that CaughtOffside provided United fans with 10 facts about their new signing.
They need to complete the deal quickly
Athletic Club have always been shrewd when it comes to transfer dealings and despite the fact Herrera is about to enter the final year of his current contract at the San Mames Stadium, United need to complete this deal within the next week.
If they fail to do so the release clause of the 24-year-old – which currently stands at £28.8m – will rocket £33.7m and the side are keen to avoid paying more than necessary, something which they fell foul to last summer when signing Marouane Fellaini from Everton.
He will become their fourth most expensive player
Although the owners are keen to show their trust in new manager Louis van Gaal by pledging significant transfer funds to the Dutchman, it cannot be overlooked how much the deal is actually worth.
If Herrera is signed he will become the fourth most expensive player in the club’s history, behind the £29.1m paid for Rio Ferdinand, the £30.75m for Dimitar Berbatov and the record £37.1m sanctioned for Juan Mata last January.
Greatly revered in Spain
Despite the fact many English fans may not have heard much about the midfielder and therefore may doubt whether he is worth the money, back in Spain the player is highly rated.
In fact greatly respected football journalist Graham Ruthven believes that beyond Luka Modric of Real Madrid and Juventus duo Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal, Herrera is the best central midfielder the Red Devils can sign.
David Moyes tried to sign him last summer
In what is now considered to be a calamitous first transfer window without Sir Alex Ferguson in charge in 2013, Herrera was one of the many midfielders now sacked manager David Moyes tried to sign.
Along with Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas and Sami Khedira, the Spanish star was among those that Moyes and chief executive Ed Woodward failed to lure to Old Trafford.
It’s in his blood
This Bilbao ace isn’t the first of the Herrera family to make a name for himself in the Spanish top flight, with the midfielder’s father impressing back in the 1980s.
Pedro Maria Herrera was also a central midfield player and starred for Real Zaragoza between 1982 and 1988, making over 150 appearances for the club.
Never earned a senior international cap
Despite now being in his mid-20s and being touted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, the Spaniard has never earned a senior international cap for his country and Under-23s is the highest the midfield ace has gone as yet.
However, after the poor recent showing of the Spanish national team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil – where they crashed out in the group stage – expect to see many changes in the Spain squad in the coming months.
Attacking prowess
Herrera generally likes to operate in the No.10 role behind the striker, but with Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney already at the Theatre of Dreams the fact he can also play deeper or on the right is a bonus.
United were said to lack creativity in midfield last term and with the Athletic star having a keen eye for key passes and set pieces, he could be the ideal solution to that problem.
Defensively sound
Despite being considered an attacking player, Herrera is no stranger to the defensive side of the game and can be just as useful at the back as going forward.
His tackling is particularly strong and this box-to-box style could suit van Gaal down to the ground.
He likes shooting
Although Herrera netted just five La Liga goals last campaign, the midfielder’s shooting statistics begs the question why that number wasn’t a lot higher.
With an average of 2.1 shots per game the Spanish star is not afraid to have a go at goal and could provide yet another attacking outlet to van Gaal.
Discipline issues
There are always negatives to go with the positives in the case of any new signing and all United can hope for is that Herrera is physical, but not overly so.
English football is famed for being robust, but having received four red cards in his career and a yellow card on average every three-and-a-half games, the Spaniard will have to be careful not to spend his whole time suspended.
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