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Manchester United defender Daley Blind has re-joined former club Ajax after failing to make a lasting impact at Old Trafford since joining the Red Devils in 2014. A fee around the region of £14 million was reportedly agreed upon by the two clubs and the Dutchman has already joined the pre-season preparations of the Eredivisie giants.
Blind arrived in England following the footsteps of Louis van Gaal, who took over the reins at Manchester following his successful World Cup Campaign with the Netherlands, and made over 90 appearances for the club, scoring 4 goals and winning 4 trophies including the Europa League in 2016-17, during his stint with the Premier League giants.
However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the 28-year-old under Jose Mourinho and he struggled to get enough minutes under his belt after being restricted to just 901 minutes of playing time over the whole of last season. Blind was linked with a move away from the club for quite some time now and the arrival of Diogo Dalot has well and truly paved the way for the Dutchman’s departure from Old Trafford.
In this segment, we take a closer look at 3 ideal players who can replace Daley Blind at Manchester United. Without further delay, let’s delve into the same and find out who they are as follows:
#3 Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)
The Tottenham full-back was linked with a move to Old Trafford before he ruptured his cruciate ligament last season and is in the contention for a move away from White Hart Lane, considering the fact that he is steadily regaining his fitness as we speak.
Danny Rose was part of England’s World Cup squad that finished fourth in the competition and despite not being a regular starter or not impressing commendably when he got an opportunity, he is still considered as one of the top full-backs in the country when fully fit and raring to go.
Jose Mourinho has reportedly been a long-time admirer of the defender and he was the subject of a rejected bid last summer when the Red Devils were planning to bolster their ranks in the department.
With the signing of Diogo Dalot already wrapped up, the circumstances might not persuade Mourinho to try and table a cheeky bid for the 28-year-old but with uncertainty looming around Luke Shaw’s future at the club, this deal is not improbable.
#2 Faouzi Ghoulam (SSC Napoli)
Faouzi Ghoulam will be the ideal fit for many teams in the Premier League including Manchester United, thanks to his flair for creativity and impeccable work rate. The Algerian has been a central figure at Napoli for quite some time now and is quite easily one of the highly rated left-backs in Europe owing to some consistent performances for the 2017/18 Serie A runners-up.
The 27-year-old is well known for his attacking exploits and has a reputation for working tirelessly down the flanks to try and influence play on both ends of the field. The full-back will be the ideal fit to United’s inconsistency down the left flank and is well and truly capable of disposing Luke Shaw or Diogo Dalot from the starting line-up for that matter.
However, with Napoli gearing up for an exciting season under Carlo Ancelotti, it is believed that it will be in their best efforts to try and hold on to their key players to build on from what they achieved last season under former manager Maurizio Sarri. The Serie A outfit is expected to play hard-ball with United regarding the deal and the Red Devils will have to shell out a small fortune to try and make them think otherwise.
#1 Harry Maguire (Leicester City)
Harry Maguire was arguably one of the biggest breakout stars from the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Russia as he emerged as an unlikely hero for the Three Lions right from the first game against Tunisia in Volgograd. The 25-year-old is reportedly being courted by Manchester United and it is now believed that the Red Devils are willing to offer a whopping £50 million to try and lure him away from Leicester City before the end of the summer transfer window.
Maguire’s resounding performances at the back for both club and country has quickly propelled him to a new pedestal, wherein he is now being considered as one of England’s best centre-backs. If reports are to be believed, Jose Mourinho has identified the defender as the ideal candidate to strengthen United’s back-line and it is rumoured that Maguire might be wearing the Red of Manchester sooner rather than later.
