Our Manchester United supporters in the Football Transfer Tavern are hung up on two words right now and they are Felipe and Anderson.
Yes, the Lazio winger is the talk of the bar right now with The Independent having noted yesterday that the Italian giants have lowered their asking price to £36 million with the Red Devils expected to act upon this with an imminent bid.
Having been linked with United back in the summer, the Brazilian international is clearly someone who is highly thought of by the hierarchy at Old Trafford but if signed, he’d have to show a lot more consistent form than big money summer arrival Memphis Depay.
The same reports also claim that Lazio are looking at current Monaco loanee Stephan El Shaarawy as a direct replacement for Anderson and if those reports are accurate, it would appear that Anderson is edging closer to his big Premier League switch.
Capped just once by the senior international Brazilian team to date, moving to Old Trafford would improve his international status while giving him the chance to display his flair and skill in the best league in the world compared to Serie A.
With Anderson’s proposed arrival in the pipeline, how would he look in Manchester United’s best eleven? Here’s how we reckon he’d fit in.
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Click on the image below to reveal the dream Manchester United XI including Felipe Anderson – Agreed?
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David De Gea
Our rival supporters have been claiming by the bar recently that David De Gea is Manchester United’s sole world class talent on the current books.
To be quite honest, it’s hard to disagree with this statement too with United’s double Player of the Year still maintaining his high standards despite the Red Devils’ series of lows recently.
Signing a new deal at the start of the season after a much talked about transfer to Real Madrid fell through, De Gea will be eyeing silverware in what is probably going to be either the FA Cup or Europa League this term.
After all, De Gea has only scooped one Premier League title so far in 2012/13.
Matteo Darmian
At the mid-point of the season, most of our Manchester United supporters are giving summer arrival from Torino Matteo Darmian a six out of 10 in regards to how well his Old Trafford career has gone so far.
Not blowing anybody away, yet not totally disgracing himself either, there’s room for improvement in the Italian’s game and when you consider Ashley Young has been deployed at right back even when the 26-year-old has been fit, this tells you all you need to know about his current status.
Enduring a season much like Luke Shaw did in his first campaign as a United player last term, Darmian still has time on his side and will be using the second half of the season to try and force his way into Louis van Gaal’s starting eleven on more of a week-to-week basis.
Chris Smalling
Manchester United still regain their status as having conceded the fewest number of goals (17) in the Premeir League so far this term and while David De Gea can take great credit for that, so too can Chris Smalling.
Once a figure of ridicule amongst the Red Devils’ fanbase, Smalling is now one of the first names down on the team-sheet and we read only recently that the former Fulham man has been spurred on to succeed given United’s constant links with new defensive acquisitions.
Adding greater physicality to his game nowadays, Smalling is rarely bullied by opposition strikers and will fancy his chances of partnering either Gary Cahill or John Stones at Euro 2016 for England this summer.
Daley Blind
While United trailed after the likes of Sergio Ramos last summer, their hunt ended up proving fruitless and therefore, Daley Blind has filled in much of the campaign so far at centre back.
That said, the Netherlands international has done a good job on the whole and you only have to look at the Red Devils’ goals conceded column to prove that Blind has completed a good job filling in.
Manchester United fans want their team to be in the market for an additional top quality centre back such as Everton’s John Stones and while that is normal, some credit should be retained for Blind who makes no fuss about doing whatever job for the team whether it’s at centre back, left back or in midfield
Luke Shaw
Since Luke Shaw’s season-ending injury at PSV Eindhoven earlier this campaign, Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young have filled in at left back but Red Devils supporters are pining for Shaw’s eventual return.
We had just witnessed the former Southampton defender starting to put some real consistency together in his game and the kind of form that ultimately earned him his big move to Old Trafford.
Still young of course, Shaw fortunately has plenty of time on his side and if his recovery plan goes to schedule, he still has an incredibly bright future ahead of him in the game.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Like most of Manchester United’s summer signings, Bastian Schweinsteiger has been steady but hasn’t set the Premier League alight.
A calming influence in the Red Devils’ midfield, the German international went on a mini scoring spree against Watford and Leicester City a few weeks back but in fairness, scoring isn’t really the former Bayern Munich man’s game with shoring up the midfield his first port of call.
Playing in an area that is often rotated under Louis van Gaal, Schweinsteiger is usually the man called upon when everybody in central midfield is fit and he’ll look to further improve in the second half of the season.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Morgan Schneiderlin was a ready-made reinforcement for United’s midfield in the summer transfer window having been a standout player in Southampton’s side but he’s more of an in and out kind of star at Old Trafford.
Not starting under Louis van Gaal every week, Schneiderlin was always going to find it tougher in more expectant surroundings with greater competition in midfield but that said, a few of our United supporters have been left feeling like they want more from the Frenchman.
Scoring just once at Everton thus far, like Schweinsteiger, scoring isn’t Schneiderlin’s game but at the same time, our Red Devils supporters want him to be more tenacious in the tackle while proving to Louis van Gaal that he should be Bastian Schweinsteiger’s first choice partner week in, week out at the club.
Juan Mata
Oh how sweet it would’ve been for Manchester United supporters to rub in Chelsea fans’ faces that Juan Mata scored against the Blues back on Bank Holiday Monday but the Spanish international was inches away after striking the bar in that game.
Looking like he’s fully proved his worth at United in some spells and then going back into his shell in other games, consistency is the name of the game when talking about Mata and in all honesty, he needs to improve too.
At the same time, it’s more frustrating with Mata because United fans know he is capable of superb solo displays such as the one he put in away at Southampton earlier this season where he was absolutely fantastic on the day.
Wayne Rooney
At last, it looks as if Wayne Rooney has finally looked to arrest his poor performances from his portfolio this term with two decent showings in United’s last two home games against both Chelsea and Swansea City.
Scoring a sumptuous back flicked finish to win the game against the Swans last weekend, perhaps it would still be too premature to claim Rooney is back but at least he’s looking more confident in his game.
There’s no reason why Rooney shouldn’t be scoring at least 20 goals a season for the Red Devils despite the fact he offers more to the team and United supporters need him firing because the goals are coming from few other sources overall.
Felipe Anderson
And so, here’s the inclusion of the man on every Manchester United fans’ lips right now with Felipe Anderson expected to be one of the big name transfers in the January window as a whole.
A two footed talent, Anderson is used to playing on the left wing for Lazio where he can go outside or alternatively cut in from the flanks and lets face it, Memphis Depay has hardly been indispensable in the same position this term.
Lazio’s top scorer so far this season with five strikes in all competitions, Anderson can chip in with his fair share of goals but is ultimately tricky enough to create assists for his team-mates.
With Juan Mata on one side and Anderson on the other, playing these two at the same time should produce more efforts on goal for the likes of Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial.
Anthony Martial
Scoring an excellent header against Swansea City last weekend, United supporters would’ve been impressed with Anthony Martial’s contribution in the last two games with the French international also going close in hitting the post against Chelsea.
A confidence player who looks fantastic in short spells, Martial has shown enough in his brief United career so far to prove that he’s got what it takes to be a star long-term but the question remains whether this will be up top or on the left flank.
Having played in both positions so far this term, we think that if Felipe Anderson is United’s sole major purchase this January, Louis van Gaal will be afforded no other option but to play Martial as a centre forward.
Either he or Wayne Rooney of course but United supporters are hoping that an additional striker is brought in to bolster the ranks also.
