Why Manchester United signing Nicolas Tagliafico would be a smart move
According to The Sun, Nicolas Tagliafico has emerged as one of the targets for Manchester United, who are keen to sign a left-back this summer.
Profile
Nicolas Tagliafico is a 28-year-old Argentine fullback who plays for Ajax. He started his youth career at Banfield, an Argentine club, around 2010. The club promoted him to the senior side in 2010 and after a few seasons, he started getting games on a regular basis. He has played more than 50 games for the side.
In the midst of that, he was sent on loan to Real Murcia in 2012, featuring 28 times. CA Independiente signed him in 2015 and it was here that Tagliafico started gaining prominence. He played 3 seasons for them and appeared in 105 matches.
Then he was signed by Ajax in 2017 and since then he has been a mainstay of their backline. So far, he has made 100 appearances for the side, scored 12 and assisted 15 more (source – Transfermarkt).
Tagliafico is also a regular for the national team with 25 caps to his name.
Is he a good option for Man United?
Tagliafico is an attack-minded left-back, as evident from his goals and assists tally. He likes to venture forward and add offensive impetus to the team. Given the requirements of modern football, United should look at the possibility of signing Tagliafico to add strength to the left-back department.
He looks like an upgrade to Luke Shaw, who has struggled for fitness throughout his Manchester United career. The Argentine has had minimal injury lay-offs in the last few seasons and that is something United could do with.
Verdict
Capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch, United could do a whole lot worse than not signing someone like Tagliafico, who is one of the better left-backs in Europe.
Manchester United would certainly benefit by signing someone like Tagliafico given his quality and experience.
