Why Bonucci would be a great signing for Manchester United

Jose Mourinho will be aching for the new season to begin. Manchester United had an underwhelming campaign last term despite finishing second in the Premier League behind champions Manchester City.

The Red Devils also failed to beat Mourinho’s former employers Chelsea in the FA Cup final. Eden Hazard scored the only goal of the game as Manchester United ended their campaign without silverware.

Manchester United have come in for criticism for their uninspiring performances, despite the club making several high-profile signings under Mourinho. The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez were signed by the Portuguese manager but United still finished 19 points behind champions City.

Mourinho has been active this summer as well, with United having already signed Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk and Diogo Dalot from Porto.

United have been linked with Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld for some time now but reports suggest that negotiations are at an impasse and the Red Devils are looking at other options.

And it’s not surprising to see United being linked with another high-profile defender in Leonardo Bonucci. The centre back only moved from Juventus to AC Milan last summer but endured one of the worst seasons of his career in the 2017/18 campaign.

Despite spending big last summer, AC Milan failed to make an impact. Moreover, they have been banned from participating in the Europa League next season after failing to comply with the Fincancial Fairplay (FFP) rule.

The Italian giants need to offload some of their players this summer to balance the books, and United are targetting Bonucci, who was one of the best centre backs in the world during his time at Juventus. The Italian rose to prominence in his seven years with the Turin outfit.

He formed a solid partnership with Giorgio Chiellini which made Juventus’ defence one of the hardest backlines to breach in Europe.

Bonucci made 35 appearances for the Rossoneri last season, scoring 2 goals in the process. His pass success rate average stood at 85.7%. The former Juventus defender is extremely calm and composed on the ball. He also possesses impressive pace for a defender, who stands at 6ft3in.

A move to Manchester United would certainly benefit the 30-year-old, who probably won’t get another opportunity to play in the Premier League. Manchester United conceded the least number of goals at home last season, and with Bonucci’s inclusion, they can only aim higher.