5 reasons why Manchester United should not sell Marouane Fellaini

As the new Premier League season edges closer, the excitement among the fans is as highas ever. Analysis and discussions are heating up as teams go about their pre-season, and one of the most talked about topics is the list of possible departures and arrivals at Manchester United.Linked with almost every good player around, the club gives the transfer analysts and fans enough fodder for discussion. And while the names of incoming players are always debated over, there is unanimous agreement among fans on those who must leave Old Trafford this term.One name that has been ever present on that outgoing list is Marouane Fellaini. The tall Belgians 1st season at Old Trafford was as disastrous as Uniteds, and no wonder fans wish for it be his last.But maybe, there might be some reasons to think otherwise. Let us take a look at 5 reasons why Fellaini deserves at least one more season as a Manchester United player.

#1 Doubts over Wayne Rooney\'s future

The initial reports of van Gaal planning to play Wayne Rooney in midfield and the more recent reports of Manchester United chasing Edinson Cavani do not bode well with Rooney’s history of threatening to leave the club. He has expressed his dissatisfaction whenever played out of his comfort zone and both Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes tried hard to manage their star man.

But with van Gaal known for his no-nonsense attitude and with his love for fellow Dutchman Robin van Persie not a secret, Rooney has enough reasons to be unsettled. Rooney would not be short of suitors and if anyone can match his high wages, he might be tempted to move. If he does, it would open up Fellaini’s chances to play in his favourite position just behind the striker, where he has done extremely well in the past.

But Rooney’s move is still a big if as of now, and then there are still Juan Mata and Shinji Kagawa for competition

#2 Michael Carrick\'s injury

On his very first day in office, Louis Van Gaal suffered a setback as Carrick had to undergo an ankle injury and will be missing for almost 12 weeks. Carrick was almost certain to start in the centre of midfield alongside new signing Ander Herrera and his absence has opened up a vacant slot to be filled. It looks likely that van Gaal will hit the market for a replacement, but in case he fails, Fellaini is United’s best option from the current lot.

In spite of his clumsy technique and rashness, statistically he has a better defensive record than any of Fletcher, Cleverley or Herrera and to an extent even Carrick. And his physical presence has proved useful in aerial duels (his reckless use of the elbow is a concern though).

But it is mainly his distribution that pales in comparison to Carrick. Carrick had been successful in orchestrating United’s attacks even while playing deep, with his accurate passing is something Fellaini has failed to replicate. But with a more creative partner in Herrera and the tutelage of van Gaal, there is a probability that Fellaini could finally thrive in the position he was actually brought in for.

(Stats courtesy Squawka)

#3 The Lack of options in The midfield role

One of Fellaini’s best performances for Manchester United came when he was handed the role of a destroyer behind the young James Wilson in the home match against Hull City towards the end of last season.

Given full license up-front, Fellaini proved to be a constant threat with his physical presence and this aspect of his game can be utilized by van Gaal. None of United’s midfield and attacking options have the physical attributes of Fellaini and van Gaal can start him or bring him on as an impact substitute, against physically strong defenses against whom the creativity and pace of the likes of Mata, Kagawa and Januzaj would need some raw assistance.

#4 Bizarre selling price

Selling a player bought for £27.5 million for almost half the price after just a year does not seem to be a good idea. It is true that Fellaini was a flop last season, but there is no need to offload him immediately, especially given that he has a 5-year contract with United and more importantly, he is not as bad as it seems.

If van Gaal does intend to sell him, he should rather wait and extract a few decent if-not eye-catching performances from Fellani, so that he can command a higher fee than his paltry £15 million tag that is currently being suggested across the media. If he is indeed surplus to requirements, even an initial loan move might help van Gaal attract a few decent bids from suitors for the big Belgian later.

Moreover there is no immediate need for United to sell Fellaini as they are not short on funds plus there are other players to sell like Nani, Ashley Young and Anderson.

[Reminder- David Luiz became the most expensive defender with a whopping fee of £50 million from Paris St.Germain, despite a season which was definitely not his best ]

#5 Keenness To Stay

Fellaini is one player who very well realizes that it is going to be tough for him to break into the starting eleven at Manchester United and the good part is he has expressed his desire to fight for it.

The likes of Nani, Anderson, Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley have been given numerous chances over the years and yet have failed to create any sort of impact. Just one season might be too early to judge him, and even though he might not have all the qualities of a Manchester United player, he surely has the attitude of one.

At 26, Fellaini is still to reach his peak and if van Gaal, who is known for his resource management abilities, can fine-tune his game, he still might have a future and a role to play at Old Trafford.