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Helder Postiga of Portugal and Mats Hummels of Germany fight for the ball during a group game at UEFA EURO 2012.
Speculations are rife that Manchester United may allow their skipper and big centre-back, Nemanja Vidic to leave in January considering the money that Anzhi are ready to offer. Some may say that Sir Alex is having a tough time dealing without Vida in the heart of defense. A survey on popular website also suggested that Matts Hummels should be the man for the job in place of the Serb. That would be tough for the Red Devils, given that the German has a contract that runs till 2017, with the price sky high. Here are the reasons stating as to why it would be wiser for the Red Devils to get the talent from their own backyard.
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1. Big Money
It’s not going to be easy for the Red Devils to prise Hummels away from Borussia Dortmund. The 23-year-old defender only signed a contract extension at the end of last season. The transfer fee could be more than €30 million for the talented centre-back, who can also make good attacking runs as well. Considering their financial situation, and the recent spending on 5 new recruits, the chances of Manchester United dishing out a huge sum seems unlikely.
2. Johnny Evans
He was not one of the brightest graduates from Manchester United’s academy. But Vidic’s injury last season was a blessing in disguise for this North Ireland centre-back. He had some exceptional games last season when he was deployed in place of the injured Vidic, and took over the responsibility very well. He was also quick in correcting his flaws, and is a lot more composed and mature while defending. Injured towards the end of the season, Evans was able to recover quicker than expected. Previously viewed as a back-up, Evans is now ready to take up the defensive responsibility at Old Trafford.
3. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling (L) and Phil Jones (R): England and United’s future centre-back paring?
The talented England internationals, who have been out for quite sometime now due to injury, are viewed as the next big thing in English football. Sir Alex was quick to cash in on both the players last season with an eye on the future. Jones is versatile, and can be deployed in multiple positions including defensive midfield and right-back role, where he excelled for most parts of the previous season. Smalling on the other hand, did exceptionally well in the right-back role in his first season at United. He may well be used as a part-time centre-back in case of an injury scare. He is an intelligent and level-headed young man, who has a lot of potential to fulfil.
4. Affordable options from Premier League
The Premier League has seen new batches of youngsters coming up the order and making their presence felt in one of the toughest leagues in the world. Sir Alex has the option of utilizing this opportunity by making use of raw local talent which is available to him at more affordable prices than Hummels. Ryan Shawcross for instance, has been exceptional in the Stoke City defense.
The youngster, who was a United academy product, has put on some fantastic displays for the Potters. With options like Shawcross who have already adapted to the Premier League’s style of play, it would be a comparatively better option for the Red Devils to make some shrewd buys.
5. Academy
The famous United academy, from which the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers came up the ranks, is now looking better after a brief slump. Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck are the new faces to have made it to the first team at United. They also have youngsters Scott Wooton and Micheal Keane, who impressed during their League Cup outing against Newcastle during the start of the season. 21-year-old Wooton was given his first Champions League appearance against CFR Cluj, and looked promising during the brief 16 minute period when he replaced Jonny Evans. Given some more game time, it is certain that these talented youngsters would come up to first team standards.
