The beginning of a new year brings with it a sense of optimism for European soccer fans. There’s that hope that their teams can find a way to bring in one or two key players during the January transfer window and solidify their status as contenders either in league play or in tournaments across the continent. Manchester United is among the teams that could really use a personnel boost.
Despite flashes of their capabilities, they have been far too inconsistent all season. United currently sits fourth in the Premier League and the one area they will need to shore up in order to at least hold down a Champions League position the rest of the way is the back end where the defense has looked suspect all too frequently.
While the Reds are coming off one of their better defensive outings, a 2-0 win over QPR, the right back position is the one area that has stood out as a sore spot all season. Rafael da Silva has proven to be a weak option and Antonio Valencia has looked a bit out of place (he’s more natural fit on the wing). The good news is they have a chance to address their Achilles heel this month.
With all of the rumors swirling, here are three right backs that make plenty of sense for Man U.
Dani Alves – Barcelona
There have been rumors of how willing United is to flex its muscle and chase Lionel Messi at the end of the season, with record money needing to be leveraged to acquire his services. But with a quality striker tandem already in place, the club might be better off spending that money elsewhere and addressing a weakness.
Alves is another Barcelona player that would be an excellent fit at Old Trafford, where he would make an immediate presence at the right back spot as one of the more aggressive defenders available. He’s long been linked with a move to United and his recent comments about how open he is to a potential trade from Barcelona suggests he would have no problem leaving Spain and sliding in with a Premier League contender. Considering club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was equally uncertain about Alves’ future, it would seem to indicate that a move is very likely.
Stephan Lichtsteiner – Juventus
Lichsteiner is one of the most attractive options on the transfer market and the type of player that could thrive with a fresh start at Old Trafford. There have already been reports that United is willing to flex its financial muscle in order to bring him over and the 30-year-old would bring a wealth of talent and experience to help solidify the back line. Building on his quality presence on the back line is the fact that he can push forward and really jump in to the rush from the right back position which would be another major asset in Louis van Gaal’s attacking system.
Ignazio Abate – AC Milan
While he might not be as big of a name as Alves or Lichsteiner, the 28-year-old would be a quality option for United if they fail to land either of those first two players. He certainly isn’t as flashy or strong with the ball at his foot but, he is an excellent defensive player that takes great angles and doesn’t give up much room. When compared to the current options at the back end, Abate averages 2.5 interceptions per game, which would be a big upgrade over Antonio Valencia (1.7) and Rafael (2.2). And he’s got a bit of offense in him too with four assists this season. There is rumored to be competition from Liverpool but Man U has the budget to make this happen.
Manchester United is expected to upgrade the right back position very shortly and they should try hard for Alves. If that fails, then the other two players on this list will serve as quality consolation prizes.
