Why Marvin Plattenhardt would be a smashing signing for Man United

Back in September 2018, the Sun had claimed Manchester United were interested in signing Hertha Berlin left-back Marvin Plattenhardt. However, no deal materialised and he stayed put at the club.

A graduate of Nurnberg’s academy, Marvin Plattenhardt, 27, made his debut in the 2009-10 season but he rose to prominence during the 2013-14 season where he established himself as the first-choice left-back, making 31 appearances in the Bundesliga.

The 27-year-old made his move to Hertha Berlin back in 2014 and in recent years has established himself as one of the best left-backs in the Bundesliga.

The left-footed flyer, who was a part of Germany’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, had a start-stop 2018/19 campaign that saw him make a total of only 22 appearances in the German top-flight. Regardless of an ordinary 2018/19 season, Manchester United must reignite their interest in Plattenhardt when the transfer window reopens.

Since Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial got injured against Crystal Palace, Manchester United’s form have tailed off dramatically.

The Red Devils have won just two of their first eight league games to sit just two points above the relegation zone going into the weekend’s showdown with Liverpool. That has led to talk that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be about to lose his job, despite United insisting that the Norwegian is the right man for the role.

Speaking about Shaw, he has contended with a series of more minor injuries since recovering from the horror double leg-break, never truly securing a consistent spot in the starting line-up. But even when Shaw has managed to get some consistent game time under his belt, his personal performances haven’t quite been up to standard either.

Due to the England international’s combination of injuries and average displays, United have forced to turn to makeshift full-backs, most recently Ashley Young and Marcos Rojo. Both Young and Rojo are nowhere near the standard to cover and compete regularly with Shaw.

To put things into perspective, Solskjaer should sign a new left-back in January and Marvin Plattenhardt would fit the billing perfectly. His playing style should help him settle into the Premier League without any problems.

Plattenhardt has a sound positional sense for a full-back and is a good reader of the game at the back. He is defensively reliable and never hesitates to jump into tackles or challenges to halt his opponent from advancing.

The German has a good turn of pace, crossing ability and is capable of creating opportunities for his teammates.

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Furthermore, he is also a dead-ball specialist, which should entice Solskjaer in making a move for him.

Verdict

Manchester United need an accomplished player to solve their left-back woes and Plattenhardt’s versatility to play at both left-back and wing-back should make him a perfect choice for Solskjaer.