As Manchester United’s season gradually nears the end, there are a couple of glitches quite visible in the squad. The match against Bournemouth was another indication of a couple of holes that need to be filled in the squad. Matteo Darmian’s rather constant uninspiring performances have not helped the case with reports suggesting that the Italian will be offloaded in the summer.
Darmian currently looks one-tenth of the player that United had bought some years ago and hence there is a slim chance that he would stay beyond this season. Accordingly, Jose will be looking for a more-accomplished, attacking fullback and a report suggests that United will be vying to get the signature of Portuguese right-back Joao Cancelo.
Joao Cancelo is on a loan from Spanish club Valencia at Inter Milan and has certainly upgraded his game this season. He is a traditional fullback who focuses on his defensive work more than the attacking aspect. He is an astute defender, reads the game well and accordingly tracks back whenever required.
Cancelo has good pace and his defensive positioning allows him to have an edge over his adversary. In 21 appearances this season, he has scored once and assisted twice whilst having created 25 goal-scoring opportunities. He has won 45% of his defensive duels and has been particularly impressive in headed duels in which he has maintained a 59% success rate. Tackling is an aspect of the game where the lad can improve himself, as he currently enjoys a mere 33% tackle success rate in the league matches this season. Cancelo is a good passer of the ball and has completed 85% of his passes this season.
It would be a tricky buy, to be honest. On one hand, it looks like Cancelo has the necessary attributes to succeed whilst playing as a fullback. He could agree to play as a backup to Antonio Valencia at times and hence it seems that he would be a decent pick for the spot. However, with United looking to challenge for the title next season, it is extremely important for them to look for more firepower on the flanks.
Cancelo looks like he is more of a traditional fullback who likes to sit back and defend rather than providing attacking impetus in the other half. Maybe, Manchester United could keep him on the list but they would definitely want a better, more attack-minded player to replace Valencia in the long-term.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
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