Manchester United should swap Paul Pogba for Rodrigo Bentancur
According to an earlier report from Calciomercato, Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was linked with moves to AC Milan and Manchester United but it was Juventus who had the final say in the transfer saga.
After a lot of uncertainty, Jose Mourinho was sacked by the club and it does leave them in a precarious position right now. But as far as Bentancur is concerned, he does seem like a good option for the Red Devils.
Following a successful season at Boca Juniors, a move to the Premier League failed to materialise and Bruma continued to reach new heights at Turin. He wasn’t one of the first names on the teamsheet for Juventus in his debut season but his cameos were enough to earn him a place in Uruguay’s 2018 World Cup squad.
And he hasn’t looked back since then. Bentancur started five games for Uruguay at the World Cup and impressed with his solid shifts in central midfield.
Bentancur has established himself as a starter for Juventus this season, registering 2 goals and an assist from 13 appearances in the Serie A. However, those stats do not tell the whole story.
The 21-year-old has never been the sort of player who racks up a large number of goals and assists but he is known for his ability to dictate the tempo of the game from his deep position in the midfield. Standing at 6ft. 2 inches with a tall and strong frame, Bentancur is tailor-made for the role of a withdrawn playmaker or a deep-lying playmaker who likes to operate from the central areas.
He is not particularly pacy but he is sharp and agile enough to control the proceedings in the midfield. The 21-year-old has a wonderful range of passing which allows him to keep the ball ticking in the midfield and work the spaces.
Some of the passes that he pulls off are absolutely exquisite which can turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Blessed with incredible vision, the Uruguayan uses the ball well, passes well between the lines and has supreme confidence in his ability to pick out the right pass.
Bentancur is also known for his positional play and his composure on the ball. A player with good game-reading abilities, the youngster has the ability to cut out the attacks with crucial tackles and interceptions when deployed as a sweeper for the back four. In other words, he is a tactically versatile midfielder who can adapt his game according to the needs of the team.
Bentancur has averaged 42.9 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 88.2 in the Serie A this term, including 1 key pass and 1.9 successful long balls per game.
To put things into perspective, Manchester United should re-kindle their interest in the highly-rated Uruguayan in January to solve their woes in the midfield department.
Nemanja Matic used to be Mourinho’s go-to man in central midfield this season but the Serb hasn’t been anywhere near his best. Not only has he looked sluggish and way off the pace but he has also been poor with his positioning, often finding himself in a position deeper than the centre-backs.
Paul Pogba, on the other hand, fell out of favour after a series of unimpressive displays under the former manager. Ander Herrera has done reasonably well but Marouane Fellaini has blown hot and cold. In fact, none of the midfielders has lived up to their billings this season and United have lacked any sort of cohesion in the central areas of the park.
With Paul Pogba being linked with a potential move back to Juventus (h/t Calciomarcato), it wouldn’t be a bad idea for United to go for a swap deal. Bentancur coming to the Old Trafford with the Frenchman going the other way might be the ideal January business for the Red Devils.
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Irrespective of whatever the future holds for Pogba, United should start keeping tabs on Bentancur once again.