I'm sorry but Vidal and Strootman were about 10m+ each, while Carvalho is being quoted for 37.5m. That amount is simply way too much for someone like Carvalho.
[h=1]Trust Van Gaal: Why Man United were right to sign Ander Herrera instead of Bayern’s Toni Kroos[/h]By Nick Harris
In stark contrast to last summer, and perhaps in a bid to erase memories of the series of blunders that blighted that transfer window, Manchester United have gone about their business with remarkable alacrity this year, spending around £60m onLuke Shaw and Ander Herrera before June became July.
The Red Devils have been just as decisive in turning down the chance to sign players, with Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos both ignored despite figuring on United’s radar in the past.
The decision to pass on the Barcelona and Bayern Munich men, especially when a similar amount was then spent on the relatively small-fry Herrera, has not gone without comment, with the increasingly chatty Paul Scholes weighing in to say that he wished Man United had signed Kroos.
On the face of it, it’s pretty hard to argue with Scholes. Kroos is a serial winner, an important cog in the impressive Bayern Munich and Germany machines, and only 24, the same age as Herrera. It is also fair to say that if anyone has right to suggest the perfect man for Manchester United’s midfield, it is the formerly reticent stalwart.
However, allowing Sir Alex Ferguson to pick out his successor at Old Trafford proved a disaster, and there is a fair case to suggest that Kroos would also be a poor fit for the Red Devils, especially under new manager Louis van Gaal.
Kroos is an undeniably excellent player who should be near the top of almost any club’s shopping list this summer if he is available, but the German would not solve the biggest issue in the United team of last season.
That was a lack of pace and drive from deep, the absence of a midfield runner capable of accelerating the ponderous play that made United so easy to nullify. Other than Marouane Fellaini, who has a set of issues of his own, the whole array of midfielders at the club were alarmingly one-note – tidy players but ones unable to dominate the middle of park.
Toni Kroos Completed 92% Of His Passes Last Season
Kroos can control games with his exceptional passing – no player has completed more passes at the World Cup than the German – but he is slow and grounded in a style of play that fits neither with United’s traditionally boisterous directness or Van Gaal’s midfield preferences.
The Dutch manager will likely pair a defensive midfielder with, and these are becoming increasingly rare in football, a midfielder (now described as a box-to-box midfielder to avoid confusion). The latter will surely be Herrera, who combines a keen eye for a pass – he created 53 chances in La Liga last season – with bullish tackling – he averaged 2.64 per 90 minutes.
Who will act as the destroyer is unclear, but it certainly won’t be Kroos. The German’s best position is ahead of two deeper central midfielders, but United spent £37m in January on a player who could also fill that spot in Juan Mata. The Red Devils’ record signing is already competing for the role with Wayne Rooney, who is reportedly on £300,000 a week. Even if Kroos is better fit than either of United’s current options, they are unlikely to lavish more cash in that area.
Van Gaal could have opted to pair Kroos with Herrera in midfield, and the Spaniard’s defensive robustness might have dovetailed nicely with the Bayern man’s ability to pick a pass. However, this would be a bizarre use of Herrera, who would have to play a more withdrawn role than he has done at Bilbao, muting his attacking impact.
Looking at the stats from last season, Herrera actually averages more goals, assists and chances created per 90 than Kroos. That’s not to say he’s a better player, but the 24-year-old is a fine all-round midfielder and that is presumably why Manchester United spent £30m on him. To use him in any other way would be odd.
Turning down the chance to bring in Kroos is a gamble for United, but the signing of Herrera instead illustrates that Van Gaal has an understanding of the main problem with their sluggish midfield last season.
Signing Kroos would have necessitated a change in the Red Devils’ style. The German is a brilliant player in a possession-hogging side that spends much of its time camped out around the opposition box, but United have always been at their best when playing more directly.
Kroos will almost certainly go on and be excellent at Bayern or some other European giant next season, but United and Van Gaal should not be berated for passing on the German as he simply wasn’t the man for the job required at Old Trafford.
