A few weeks ago in the Football Transfer Tavern, eyebrows were raised when Manchester United fans read on BBC Sport that the club were trailing after both Sergio Ramos and Bastian Schweinsteiger this summer.
While talk of a transfer for the latter player has subsided in recent weeks, talk of an imminent transfer for Ramos has intensified with the player himself having told Real Madrid that he wants to move to Old Trafford this summer.
This intense transfer speculation has got all of our resident Red Devils fans by the bar rather excited with Louis van Gaal yet to improve his defence with Memphis Depay representing the only new arrival so far this summer.
While United finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League again last season, the consensus is that the Red Devils need to improve their defensive discipline if they are to truly challenge the likes of Chelsea for the Premier League title.
Ramos is a pro with experience in abundance, having won all there is to win at both domestic and international level with Real Madrid and Spain.
We mentioned discipline but in truth, Ramos hasn’t been too shy in receiving numerous red cards in his career but despite that, everybody recognises him as one of the best defenders in the modern game.
That’s why United fans are hoping this deal comes to fruition in the coming weeks.
Here’s five reasons why United and Louis van Gaal should move heaven and earth to land Sergio Ramos this summer.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 reasons why Manchester United should do all they can to land Sergio Ramos.
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He would immediately improve their defensive prospects
If United ended up pulling off a swoop for a truly world class defender like Sergio Ramos is, this would immediately improve their defensive prospects.
Having won all there is to win in the game, Ramos would bring experience and a winning mentality to United’s back line and lets face it, United haven’t been shy in landing an entire plethora of honours themselves, have they?
That said, the likes of Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling don’t currently look like world beaters with this area of United’s team being seen as a weakness in the eyes of rival fans.
To add somebody like Ramos would representing something of a game changing move like Arsenal’s signing of Petr Cech and for the reported £28 million fee, we think this is a big transfer worth making on United’s part.
He would makes the likes of Smalling and Jones better players
We saw on social media this week that Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny was welcoming to new arrival Petr Cech, claiming that he was excited to be working with the long-serving incoming from Chelsea.
With Szczesny needing to improve a lot to convince Arsenal fans he can do a job long-term, the same can be said about the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones who look like they still need an older mentor to bring the best form out of the pair.
Expected to be the bedrock on which United’s forward players can go forth and thrive, both Smalling and Jones still look far from the finished article at present, despite small improvements here and there.
The signing of Ramos would galvanise United’s back line with the Spaniard being able to offer his experience and assurance to the England internationals.
His arrival would stop fans pining over Ferdinand and Vidic
Ever since the pair departed Old Trafford after decorated careers as Manchester United players, Red Devils fans have been left pining over the defensive abilities that Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic possessed.
The likes of Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones simply haven’t been able to live up to the billing and the solid defensive displays which became commonplace when Ferdinand and Vidic were marshalling the back line.
To sign a truly world class ready-made reinforcement in Sergio Ramos would allay Red Devils fans’ pining after the Ferdinand and Vidic combo with the Spaniard unlikely to need to bed into the English game with his experience probably meaning he could hit the ground running.
Aged 29 but still rightly categorised as being in the peak of his career, Ramos is clearly hell bent on seeking a fresh challenge after winning all there is to win with Real Madrid.
It would mean deadwood would have to be shifted
With Phil Jones signing a new long-term deal at Old Trafford this week, it is clear that Louis van Gaal still envisages a prosperous future for the man Sir Alex Ferguson rated so highly upon signing him from Blackburn Rovers back in 2011.
With Chris Smalling improving towards the tail end of 2014/15 to boot, it appears the future could be bleak for United’s Northern Irish international defender Jonny Evans.
United fans have grown used to Evans making sloppy defensive errors in recent seasons with the player expected to make a John O’Shea / Wes Brown kind of transfer away from Old Trafford this summer.
A loyal servant yes, Evans has been found wanting on too many occasions to prevent United looking at the likes of Sergio Ramos in the transfer market.
With Aston Villa interested in the defender as reported by Metro earlier this summer, expect the Northern Ireland captain to be disposed of if a deal for Ramos can be agreed.
It would help attract more top level arrivals
Ever since Louis van Gaal was instilled as Manchester United manager last summer, it appears the club are operating under something imitating a Galactico-like transfer policy.
Not shy of spending a few bob, United have spent big money to bring the likes of Luke Shaw, Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay to Old Trafford, not to mention splashing huge wages on the flop that turned out to be Radamel Falcao.
United are now seemingly being linked to top level ready-made reinforcements more readily than ever before with van Gaal clearly intent on signing players for the here and now.
To pull of the signing of Sergio Ramos would further underline United’s status as a top club in world football yet again and who knows, could attract more top level reinforcements to Old Trafford.
Southampton’s Morgan Scheneiderlin is fully expected to be the next big name arrival.
