Last season when AS Monaco scripted their fairytale run it certainly caught the attention of the footballing fraternity and it was as if the European heavyweights decided that they wouldn’t let the French champions repeat the feat. Teams like Chelsea, PSG and Manchester City absolutely ripped apart Monaco by prising away their talented youngsters. However, the team did manage to keep hold of a couple of those players and one of them is Fabinho.
The Brazilian star was one of the underrated stars of that Monaco team, which boasted of some of the most talented forwards in Europe. Fabinho was the one who kept the midfield and defence tight, which in turn allowed the forwards a free run.
But Monaco might not be able to enjoy the Brazilian’s services for too long as Talksport claim that Manchester United have reignited their interest once more and are plotting a fresh move for the versatile player.
Know Fabinho
The 24-year-old Brazilian has been an asset for the current French champions as his versatility coupled with his defensive work-rate and offensive contributions make him an exciting prospect. He can play as a defensive midfielder but can slot into the right-back position equally effectively.
Fabinho averages around 59.4 passes in the 19 games he has played in the Ligue 1 this season. This highlights his ability to circulate the ball properly. The Brazilian is an established tackler and unsurprisingly, he has made 3.7 tackles in each game this season, something that is very impressive.
His aerial strength is exemplary too as Fabinho has won 2.9 aerial duels in the 19 games in the first half of the season. Jose Mourinho likes his players to be strong aerially and that is one of the main reasons for his admiration of Marouane Fellaini too. Fabinho always likes to move ahead with command and has scored four goals and assisted twice this season. He has delivered 1.3 key passes in every ninety minutes; astonishingly, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have made 1.9 key passes, which is narrowly better than Fabinho’s stats.
Verdict
The Brazilian will thrive under Jose’s tutelage, as some of his strengths such as aerial prowess, hard tackling ability, and relentless work rate would suit Jose’s demands.
With Manchester City way ahead of the others, the big clubs, especially United will have to strengthen considerably to claw their way back into consideration and bring back the competitive spirit in the Premier League.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored