Why Man United should make a move for Rodrigo Bentancur in January
According to a report from Calciomercato, Manchester United were one of the few European clubs interested in signing Rodrigo Bentancur, less than a year ago. But it was Juventus who activated the midfielder’s clause last summer to sign him from Boca Juniors.
Rodrigo Bentancur, 21, had a start-stop debut season at Juventus but that didn’t stop him from earning a place in Uruguay’s 2018 World Cup squad. He impressed at the World Cup in Russia, putting impressive shifts in the midfield for Uruguay.
And the 21-year-old hasn’t looked back since then, establishing himself as a regular starter for Juventus under Max Allegri this season. Rodrigo Bentancur has also scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 Italian Serie A games to propel Juventus to the top of the table. He has also been important for the Turin giants already in the first knockout round in this season’s Champions League.
With Bentancur impressing in Serie A this season, should Manchester United revive their interest in the midfielder?
Manchester United sacked Jose Mourinho following the 3-1 defeat at Anfield against Liverpool. The Red Devils are having their worst season in 28 years and it didn’t come as a surprise when they decided to sack Mourinho, who failed to create an environment where the players could perform.
After relieving the Portuguese of his duties, United have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as an interim manager until the end of the season. The Norwegian got off to a winning start by defeating Cardiff City 5-1.
But Solskjaer will certainly need at least a couple of new additions to galvanise the United team which underperformed under Mourinho. And the United manager should aim to bring Rodrigo Bentancur in January.
Nemanja Matic was heavily used by Mourinho this season despite his underwhelming performances. In Solskjaer’s attacking style of football, Matic will be a misfit and that’s where signing Bentancur would make sense.
Bentancur is a versatile midfielder who can play in a double-pivot, as a deep-lying playmaker or as a withdrawn playmaker. The Uruguayan is known for his wonderful range of passing and positional awareness.
He has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game from a deeper position in the midfield and loves to carry the ball forward with composure before releasing an incisive pass in the final third.
The 21-year-old lacks pace but he is much more agile and mobile than Matic, and has the supreme vision to go with his creativity. Bentancur uses the ball really well and knows how to hold it in the tightest of situations as well. Furthermore, he has the ability to cut out attacks with crucial interceptions and tackles when deployed to screen the back four.
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To put things into perspective, Bentancur would be a brilliant signing for United. The Uruguayan would add some much-needed energy and creativity to the midfield, forming a fantastic trio with Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera. Truth be told, the former Boca man would be the ideal January signing for the Red Devils.