Manchester United are ready to rival Chelsea and Juventus in the pursuit of AC Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli, it has been claimed.
According to Calciomercato(via Manchester Evening News), United are among the clubs interested in the services of the Italian centre-back, who has impressed under Gennaro Gattuso.
It has been indicated, however, that the Serie A giants are reluctant in letting go of their star player while the Red Devils could face stiff competition from league rivals Chelsea as well as Italian champions Juventus.
Alessio Romagnoli: The ideal player for Manchester United
According to many, ever since the departure of Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United have lacked the presence of a bonafide leader at the back. As a result, the defence has remained one of United’s key weaknesses in recent years and if we consider their current resources, the addition of a new centre-back could be imperative if they are to fight for the title next season. While their defensive record might not suggest that area of the field as their weakness, it is largely down to the fact that David de Gea has been their best player ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Coming back to this season, Eric Bailly has struggled with lack of form, which has allowed Chris Smalling to become a first-team regular under Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer while the likes of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo have seen their career marred by injuries in recent years.
Rojo, in particular, has featured in only two league games this season and it won’t be surprising to see United shipping out the Argentine international in the summer transfer window. And that’s where Romagnoli could come into the fray.
The Milan captain has been one of Serie A’s most consistent defenders over the past few years and his dogged defensive nature could certainly solidify a baffled Manchester United backline next season.
In fact, Romagnoli ranks sixth in terms of clearances made per game among players who have at least featured in 15 league games this season. In addition, only Tiemoue Bakayoko has won more headed duels than the 24-year-old in the Milan side so far, which is indicative of Romagnoli’s aerial prowess as well as the solidity he lends to the defence.
However, what makes Romagnoli such an appealing target for the Red Devils are his leadership qualities that have transformed a listless Milan backline into one of the most solid defences in the league this campaign.
This could be highly beneficial for United, who, as mentioned earlier, have overworked their Spaniard keeper to a worrying extent in recent years and are certainly in need of world-class additions. Romagnoli’s defensive solidity will also allow the promising Victor Lindelof to be more expressive in the build-up play next season – making him a tailor-made fit for the Premier League giants.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
