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Ander Herrera has entered the final three months of his contract with Manchester United and with regard to what must be considered a blunder by the management; they still haven't been able to agree new terms with this indispensable player.
Herrera has become a fan favorite and a vital cog in United's wheels over the years. He is a natural leader, someone who knows what it takes to represent the badge and delivers his best performances every time he steps on the pitch.
Ever since Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's arrival too, Herrera has started matches consistently and managed to deliver the required performances almost every time.
The Spaniard complements the duo of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba extremely well, whilst playing from the right hand side of the midfield trident and contributing equally well on both sides of the pitch.
The kind of energy that Herrera brings and instills upon others on the field is unmatched and so has been his service towards the club. It is of utmost necessity that Ed Woodward agrees on a new deal with the midfielder, as United can not find a like-for-like replacement for him anytime soon.
He brings intangible stuff to the table, and hence it becomes almost impossible to accurately replace Herrera with someone.
Here, we list three players whom the board can look at if they are incapable of extending the stay of one of their most important players.
#3 Houssem Aouar
Houssem Aouar is a part of Lyon’s incredible midfield trident.
The French international plays at the center of the midfield or through the left, and is someone who is very composed with the ball at his feet. He can set and control the tempo of the game with multiple passes and is capable of breaching the opposition’s midfield lines with some accurate passes.
Most importantly, Aouar’s defensive contribution is commendable. He is always tenacious, determined and concentrated enough to win the ball back for his team. He completed 1.6 tackles per game in the Ligue 1.
In the UEFA Champions League this season, Aouar has notched 2.4 tackles in each match and also been immense in recovering and recycling possession. He delivers 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes and takes 2.2 shots per game too. He has already scored seven goals and notched two assists in the league this season.
His defensive awareness, coupled with an eye for goal and creating goal-scoring opportunities makes him an exciting prospect to look forward too.
Aouar’s passing acumen indicates that he is someone who can control the pace of the game with utmost ease, and can hence become a valuable player for any team.
#2 Tanguy Ndombele
Tanguy Ndombele is a 22-year-old defensive midfielder for Lyon, who has impressed everyone with his impeccable playing style. Ndombele has a dynamism in his game play that separates him from other usual midfield enforcers.
As much as Ndombele focuses on breaking the opposition’s play, a major aspect of his game involves in moving the ball ahead slyly with precision and control. He has the ability to weave passes through small gaps and carve through-balls for the forward line to pounce on.
He is extremely creative with the ball at his feet, and combines it brilliantly with his defensive responsibilities too. He has registered 2 and 2.4 tackles in the Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League this season.
In addition to this, Ndombele likes to carry the ball ahead at times too, using his dazzling footwork to beat his adversaries and then attempt a final pass. He completes 1.6 dribbles per match in the league. In the Champions League, this number increased to 2.9.
Ndombele’s ability to create goal-scoring opportunities adds another wonderful factor to his game. He has already assisted six times in the league, and even scored twice in the European competition.
Any other better club away from Ligue 1 would absolutely want to reap the rich rewards of Ndombele’s talent.
#1 Nicolo Zaniolo
Nicolo Zaniolo plays for AS Roma, and has been very impressive playing in a slightly advanced position than the two others mentioned in this list.
The Italian is capable of playing through the center or from the right flank, and is quite dynamic in his approach.
Zaniolo glides past defenders with incredible ease, courtesy his quick footwork. He is a good tackler and tends to win the ball back by committing into challenges at the right time. Zaniolo has registered 1.6 tackles per match this season.
His first touch is silky, which allows him to play simple passes and carve in some through-balls to beat rigid defensive lines. The 19-year-old has scored thrice and assisted twice in the Serie A so far.
In addition, the lad also notched two goals in the UEFA Champions League.
He has balanced the defensive and offensive aspects of his game very well so far and hence, Zaniolo has garnered much attention with his performances this season.
Whether or not United decide to take a risk with him this summer, remains to be seen.
