'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAGCAMAAAG6Kc9iAAAAtFBMVEWLKDinoXpQSiqhqXyTmXh2NEx2EC6DcmS1v8OrsZlGCiKVlUChrZkuACCXl2JSFCq/xcuLYkbb29uHh2p0dGZ0cFq3walqVihmUlT3/f+hpam7v8V+Jjo2ABa/ybGVmXpIFiafp3KXl16lqaV2WipkQkyPgXAOAAbBr72HfjJORkKdWjC1sWqbo4ObpaWnk4ujcH5WTC6VjXSJgTS1r53JzcW3vbGtr6NgACTn6/Ph6/NeTB6oGYosAAAACXBIWXMAAA7DAAAOwwHHb6hkAAAAT0lEQVQImQXBBQKCAAAEsCOkRDoERLo7Bfn/v9gQLDBweQdiHWyCNt9/PJ60SlaYzWGSUCjn+wEqEre1ITrrC9tH+Xe0kfkgfYWCy/W1nN32+gbrOvNgrwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It would be safe to say that Manchester United have made an underwhelming start to life under new manager David Moyes. The Red Devils are currently ninth in the table behind the likes of Hull and Southampton and six points behind leaders Arsenal.
Moyes has been criticised for only making one addition to the United first team over the summer, in the form of Marouane Fellaini, when in reality this was a squad that needed more than one new face.
Leighton Baines
A long term target of Manchester United, Baines is seen by many as the ideal replacement for Patrice Evra at Old Trafford. Over the past couple of seasons he has been the stand out performer at left-back in the Premier League and last year he created an astonishing 116 chances. That’s more chances created than any single player in any of Europe’s top five leagues, no mean feat.
He has started this season in fine form as well with 11 chances created already and two goals scored, a pair of brilliant free kicks against West Ham. Rather unsurprisingly, he tops Everton’s Performance Score charts with 312 performance points. In fact,Baines is only one of three players in the Premier League this season to have gone above 300 points, Steven Gerrard (334) and Aaron Ramsey (327) are the others.
Evra’s performances offensively have increased if anything recently but he is getting caught out defensively with increasing regularity. Alexander Buttner hasn’t developed as well as a lot of people would have liked which explains why Baines has been pursued strongly.
It had been thought that Moyes’ appointment would have increased United’s chances of signing Baines. Although Baines was reportedly keen to move, he professionally accepted Everton’s desire to reject the move.
With a passing accuracy of 89% and a tackle success rate of 86% it is easy to see why they want to keep him but if United come back in for him in January with a considerable bid, they might not be able to refuse.
Verdict: Leighton Baines could improve United’s team considerably.
Ander Herrera
Ander Herrera’s proposed move to Old Trafford looked highly likely in the final few days of the summer transfer window but a mix-up between Manchester United and Herrera’s representative meant that the deal fell on it’s head at the 11th hour. Before Moyes and company swiftly turned their attention towards Fellaini.
Herrera could have been the creative spark that the Manchester United midfield is desperately crying out for. Michael Carrick is a fantastic passer, but he doesn’t burst forward and playing killer balls in the final third that often. He is better suited to sitting deeper and having Herrera alongside him would allow the Spaniard to get forward often and play passes for the likes of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
Last season was a fairly forgettable one for Athletic Bilbao, a 12th place finish in La Liga and the departure of former hero Fernando Llorente. Ander Herrera was linked with a move away from the Basque club, but he stayed put and had a fairly productive season with a performance score of 771 and 37 chances created.
This season he has already created 12 chances for his team-mates and he is being used in the number 10 role behind Aritz Aduriz. The problem is that United normally play Rooney in this role, and they already have a talented number 10 in Shinji Kagawa who is being wasted.
Verdict: Herrera would definitely improve United’s midfield, but he could end up going the same way as Kagawa.
Lars Bender
Lars Bender was primarily an Arsenal target over the summer, but reports recently have suggested that if the Gunners go back in for the midfielder than Manchester United could join them. A combative, no-nonsense midfielder Bender has won plenty of plaudits for the past few seasons in Germany for his effective style of play.
Last season he racked up an impressive performance score of 1,018, also registering three goals and six assists. Leverkusen easily saw off competition from the likes of Schalke to secure a third placed finish in the Bundesliga and this year Sami Hyypia’s side have started their assault on the top two. Bender plays as a part of a midfield three, and although all three are quite defensive they are all happy breaking forward.
This season he has won 85% of his tackles and if he were to sign for United it is hard to see where he would fit in. Unless Moyes reverted to a 4-3-3 with Welbeck and Rooney flanking van Persie Bender might have to start from the bench. Whether the pull of a huge club like United would be enough to compensate for not playing regularly is up to the player.
Verdict: Bender would be a valuable addition to any squad, but he might not be the type of player Manchester United are in immediate need of.
