Could Blaise Matuidi be heading to Manchester United?

Reports have started to emerge that Manchester United held talks with Super-agent Mino Raiola over the potential transfer of Blaise Matuidi from Juventus.

Manchester United are looking for midfield options, as it is now quite clear that chances of Bruno Fernandes ending up at United are dim. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has secured Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to bolster his defence, but his midfield still lacks a strong spine.

United have been desperate to get a midfielder, they have gone from Fernandes to Christian Eriksen to Sean Longstaff. There has been no success in persuading any of the three. Solskjaer has now turned his attention to the French midfielder Matuidi. He has also shown an interest in linking up with his compatriot Paul Pogba.

Matuidi is concerned with the amount of playing time he’ll get next season. Juventus are the kingpins of free transfers and signed Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot. The addition of two supremely talented midfielders adds more competition for the starting role.

Maurizio Sarri will have a headache choosing his midfielders from a pool consisting of Miralem Pjanic, Emre Can, Ramsey, Rabiot, Rodrigo Bentancur, Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi. With Sarri favoring midfielders having better passing and distribution ability, it is most likely that Pjanic, Ramsey and Can will get the nod in the starting eleven.

This leaves players like Khedira and Matuidi uncertain. Whilst Khedira is trying to secure a move elsewhere, Matuidi is hopeful of making it to the Theatre of Dreams. The Frenchman should fit well in the United set-up. Despite being 32, he still has a lot to offer.

He is a workhorse with brilliant passing ability. Even at this age, he is capable of making aggressive interceptions, lunging forward to recover the ball. Throughout his career he has been technically sound,  not known to be a player who will thrust forward with the ball but a player who will make use of spaces to get into favorable positions.

He is very different from Pogba, while Pogba likes to free roam and run with the ball, Matuidi sticks to his position and closing on the gaps. He can operate as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder. Matuidi will be a major boon to United’s midfield.

Solskjaer believes he can get his man for a fee of £25 million. Mino Raiola could broker the deal before the transfer deadline ends. Matuidi will get more chances at United than at Juventus and if the interest from United is substantial, Matuidi should make a switch to Manchester.