Tom Cleverley is said to be part of the list of players that Louis van Gaal is considering giving the boot after he failed to make an impact ahead of the new campaign. Aston Villa have already tabled a bid to sign the English midfielder and a deal could be struck in the coming days with the deadline slowly closing in.
With Cleverley likely to leave, Manchester United will definitely be on the lookout for some extra reinforcements that could easily slot into his role in the middle of Van Gaal’s starting XI.
Shunning the more high profile signings such as Arturo Vidal, Kevin Strootman and William Carvalho (we've already heard enough about them) here are SIX players that could step in to replace Tom Cleverley.
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CLICK ON DALEY BLIND TO SEE THE FULL LIST
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Jordy Clasie
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Name: Jordy Clasie
Age: 23
Position: Central Midfielder
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Feyenoord Rotterdam
Price: £7-10million
Jordy Clasie looks to be the perfect replacement for Tom Cleverley in central midfield because Manchester United are currently lacking a fast-paced talent to be the link between the defenders and the more advanced playmakers, in this case Juan Mata.
Despite scoring only one goal, he did manage to create eight goals, supporting the fact that Clasie can be the second playmaker United currently need. Having already worked under Louis van Gaal, the Dutch boss will know exactly how to get the best of him.
Nigel de Jong
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Name: Nigel de Jong
Age: 29
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: AC Milan
Price: £8–12million
Manchester United are currently going through a midfield crisis, so by using Nigel de Jong ahead of Tom Cleverley, the squad will be reinforced both in defence as well as in attack. The Dutch midfielder is capable of stopping opponent plays in their tracks and works the ball down the opposite side hoping to catch teams on the counter.
With the speed of Angel di Maria now a possible outlet, Louis van Gaal can fully exploit his ability to turn defence into attack. Given the 3-5-2 formation, De Jong can easily slot into a more central midfield role having already experienced it first hand with the Dutch national team.
Joe Allen
//www.youtube.com/embed/bZFvIs_6nVA
Name: Joe Allen
Age: 24
Position: Central Midfielder
Nationality: Wales
Club: Liverpool
Price: £15-20million
Joe Allen is another candidate that can aid Manchester United’s midfield crisis, but the only problem with this potential move is the fact that Liverpool hardly ever sells their players directly to the Red Devils.
Louis van Gaal is said to already be monitoring the likes of Allen and has been interested ever since he saw him play for the Welsh national team during his time in charge of the Netherlands squad. His passing and vision could come in handy given the lack of creativity at Old Trafford.
Daley Blind
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Name: Daley Blind
Age: 24
Position: Centre-Back, Left-Wing Back, Defensive Midfielder
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Ajax
Price: £10-15million
Daley Blind was linked with a move to Manchester United ever since Louis van Gaal was still in charge of the Dutch national squad. However, when everybody focussing on Arturo Vidal, any other transfer rumours were quietly pushed aside. As a move for the Juventus star likely to not happen before Monday, United are now turning back to the like of Blind.
The addition of Blind will be a huge boost to Van Gaal because he can fit into all the area the team needs work on. He can play as a centre-back, a left wing back, and even as a midfielder, meaning the Red Devils can solve three positional problems in one go.
Alex Song
//www.youtube.com/embed/b8khiA5Io1s
Name: Alex Song
Age: 26
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Nationality: Cameroon
Club: Barcelona
Price: £10-13 million
Alex Song is almost surely on the verge of leaving Barcelona after Luis Enrique revealed that he will not feature in his plans for the new campaign. His move to the La Liga completely halted his career after he hardly got any game time following his move from Arsenal.
His defensive as well as attacking qualities are surely there; just that he hasn’t had any time to showcase them. With Manchester United needing to add some holding midfielders to the squad before deadline day, the experience of Song could be just the thing they need. Plus, a potential linkup with Robin van Persie once again will be hard on the eyes for any Gunners fan.
Wesley Sneijder
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Name: Wesley Sneijder
Age: 30
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Galatasaray
Price: £14-18million
Wesley Sneijder is probably the most attacking option out of all the names mentioned, but given his experience, Louis van Gaal may revert him into a more central role, but allowing him to slot into attacks when the opportunity arise. He can instantly replace Tom Cleverley, who hasn’t found any decent form as of late in the heart of the Manchester United midfield.
Much like how Liverpool limited Steven Gerrard’s duties in midfield, Sneijder can be given a very similar role to that of the Red’s skipper. He could serve as a deep lying playing, capable of unleashing a killer pass to the strikers, or to other attacking outlets such as Angel Di Maria or Juan Mata.