World Cup 2018: Ideal Clubs for the Tournament’s Most Impressive Young Players

#5 Jose Gimenez- Manchester United

Jose Gimenez

Throughout his managerial career, Jose Mourinho has been able to orchestrate magical runs to the Champions League title by relative underdogs such as Porto and Inter Milan. Yet with Manchester United, the Portuguese manager has spent hundreds of millions of dollars and hasn’t managed to win a Premier League or even get past the Champions League Round of 16.

One major reason why is because Mourinho doesn’t have his usual two world-class centre-backs as he mainly relies on the competent yet inconsistent pair of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling.

While Manchester United have signed Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof over the past two summers, the former is injury-prone while the latter has struggled. What Manchester United need is a consistent, intelligent, tough tackling, aerially dominant young centre-back.

To anyone who has watched Uruguay’s first two games (or any Atletico Madrid game), Jose Gimenez is all of those things. While Gimenez has signed a new contract, Mourinho could still sign the Uruguayan if he is willing to break the bank.

The Atletico Madrid defender was excellent while playing for a defensively minded Uruguay team which preferred to defend deep against far inferior opposition in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Gimenez has averaged an outstanding 3 tackles, 5.5 interceptions (second in the tournament) and 4.5 clearances in his two games so far.

The Uruguayan was also extremely disciplined- not diving in and thus winning 85.7% of his tackles. The Atletico Madrid defender has also won 75% of his aerial duels in the tournament.

In fact, the defender has the 8th highest WhoScored player rating in the tournament so far. Did I mention that Gimenez scored a last-minute thundering header to help beat Egypt in Uruguay’s first game of the tournament? Mourinho should pick up his phone right now.