The countdown to the end of the January transfer window has already started and Manchester United are reportedly still looking to grab a last minute deal to increase the quality of their squad. After some alleged complications regarding the signing of Aleksandar Dragovic, United have turned their attentions elsewhere and they are reportedly willing to make a bid for AS Roma’s powerful midfielder Radja Nainggolan.
The Italian media are reporting today that the Red Devils want to sign the all-round Belgian midfielder that has been impressing for the Lupi this season. The Italian website Calciomercato claimed yesterday that United are prepared to make a £30 million bid in order to try to convince AS Roma to sell them the player, but after Kevin Strootman’s recent injury, that might prove to be an almost impossible mission.
The long time United’s target underwent surgery last Friday due to a knee cruciate ligament injury and he will certainly be absent from football for quite some time. The Dutch midfielder’s injury is a major blow to the Italian capital city team and will almost surely complicate the possibility of Nainggolan to change venues to Old Trafford.
The Belgian international midfielder, who arrived at AS Roma last season on loan from Serie A side of Cagliari, managed to convince both Rudi Garcia and the Lupi’s board, who ended up offering him a permanent deal last Summer. Nainggolan’s professional career started in the Italian historical team of Piacenza back in 2006 after he joined their youth squads coming in from Germinal Beerschot.
In 2010, Radja signed for Cagliari, where he became almost instantly a key element, continuing to be so during the time he spent there. Nainggolan has taken part in almost all Roma’s matches so far this season, as part of the starting line-up or as a substitute, during which he scored three goals, one of them of capital importance against Genoa, granting his team an important and difficult win at Luigi Ferraris.
Nainggolan is an all-terrain midfielder and he can assume several different roles at the centre of the pitch. From anchorman to defensive midfielder and from deep-lying playmaker to attacking midfielder, the Belgian international can do it all, something that turns him into a valuable asset to any team’s midfield line.
If Manchester United indeed manage to convince AS Roma to sell this player, he would almost certainly be of great value to the English powerhouses.
The almost certain departure of Darren Fletcher during the January transfer window would open the door for the arrival of another centre midfielder and Radja Nainggolan would definitely be a perfect fit for Louis Van Gaal’s five-man midfield line, thus becoming a valuable alternative to Michael Carrick as the liaison between the team’s defence and intermediate lines.
