Sir Alex Ferguson has never really replaced Roy Keane as the dominant tackler in the heart of his midfield, Owen Hargreaves was supposed to do that but all he is these days is the butt of about 146 jokes.
It is therefore interesting to hear today that former Manchester United and Chelsea target Axel Witsel has announced his intention to leave Standard Liege where he currently plies his trade, and the man once suspended for 8 games for a horrendous challenge on an opponent could soon be playing in the Premier League….great!
Witsel came through the youth academy at Standard Liege and progressed well, when he was relatively young he was the subject of approaches from Real Madrid and Arsenal but he decided to stay with his boyhood side. He broke into the first team during the 07-08 season where he formed a strong partnership with Steven Defour and Marouane Fellaini. Since then he has gone on to become the heart of the Liege midfield.
He generally plays centrally and is best used as a box to box player, but because of his pace, agility and skill he can also play on the wing when required. His drive, determination and ‘tackling’ ability have meant he has also represented his country on numerous occasions.
There have always been big question marks over the players temperament, and his judgement. Unfortunately Witsel has not yet learned his lesson, this season again he was sent off for another particularly brutal tackle and slowly his good work on the field is being overshadowed by his over zealous and sometimes vicious tackling.
That has never stopped other clubs from monitoring the player, and he has recently announced his intention to leave Liege at the end of the season. It is thought that the club have put a price on him of £10million and he is attracting interest from a host of clubs, it is possible that Manchester United and Chelsea may resurrect their interest from previous years and more recently he has been watched by Aston Villa and Sunderland.
Witsel has all the attributes to be a fine footballer but he has a reputation for a reason(have a look on You Tube!), if a manager could remove the x-rated tackles from his game without taking his combative edge he could be an excellent addition to many Premier League sides, even those right at the top. It remains to be seen however, who is ready to take that risk.
For more of the latest transfer rumours, follow me on twitter @soccercityjoe!
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