Five better ways for Manchester United to splash the cash in a midfielder than Arturo Vidal.
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Manchester United seem to be edging ever closer to a deal for Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, with reports suggesting that a deal worth around £47 million is in place for the Chilean, as long as no issues are found with his knee after an operation over the summer.
Vidal will become new United manager Louis van Gaal’s first genuine marquee signings, despite big money deals already having brought Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera to Old Trafford this summer, but is Vidal the kind of player that United need to get themselves back to the top table of European football?
Despite his work rate and tough tackling, Vidal is a player who is known more for his attacking capabilities than his defensive ones, and likes to play in a very attacking midfield role.
With Herrera already having the box-to-box position nailed down and Juan Mata likely to start as a number ten, we believe that United would be better off signing a defensive midfielder, such as one of these five:
William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon)
United have been linked with Sporting Lison defensive midfielder William Carvalho before, although so have Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, with the young Portuguese player emerging as one of Europe’s best prospects.
As a genuine holding midfielder, Carvalho would offer United more balance as a partner to Herrera, whilst also being able to protect a defence that looks as though it could struggle without reinforcement.