Manchester United should sign Nabil Fekir in January

Manchester United v Newcastle United - Premier League
Manchester United v Newcastle United - Premier League

Manchester United have suffered from a lack of creativity in the final third ever since Louis van Gaal took over as manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson always had an abundance of quality out wide to call upon during his tenure at the club - players like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo were the cornerstones of some of his best achievements.

Off late, the Red Devils haven't had a traditional right winger. Mourinho has experimented with several options - Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford, and Alexis Sanchez, but none of them have truly nailed down the spot.

As a result, right back Antonio Valencia has had to suffer the brunt of providing width on the right in addition to his defensive duties.

United have been linked with right-wingers recently, and it's shocking that they haven't made a move for anyone yet. With an aerially strong striker like Lukaku in the box, a steady source of crosses from the right could yield a lot of goals.

Lyon captain Nabil Fekir could provide what they need.

Nabil Fekir celebrates his Champions League goal against Man City
Nabil Fekir celebrates his Champions League goal against Man City

The 25-year-old Frenchman who is known for his versatility in attack. He primarily operates as an attacking midfielder for Lyon, and formed a lethal trio alongside Mariano Diaz and former United man Memphis Depay last season.

Fekir has excellent ball control and dribbling skills. He has a tendency to drift wide and supply pinpoint crosses, and his creativity and vision are top-notch. He's also set-piece specialist, and he's pretty good at shooting.

Sounds too good to be true? Take a look at his stats:

The numbers

Fekir scored an astounding 17 goals in 26 games last season, and that too from a midfield role. He also notched 6 assists.

He created 52 chances at 2 per game, with a pass completion rate of 84%.

He took 3 shots per game at an accuracy of 68%. He scored from 3 direct free kicks in Ligue 1 in 2017/18. The entire Manchester United squad scored 2.

No wonder Jurgen Klopp wanted him so badly in the summer.

Fekir is reportedly still unhappy about his failed move to Liverpool, and United should try and capitalise on that.

A transfer fee of around £60 million was being quoted. If he still wants to leave Lyon, he'd be a bargain at that price, and Mourinho should do everything to try and sign him in January.

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