Transfer Target: Mourinho Keen To Land Radja Nainggolan

Jose Mourinho does not rest during the offseason. The Portuguese tactician wants to add quality players for Manchester United next season, and a new name has leaked as a potential transfer target.

Several media outlets have reported that Mourinho is keen to sign Radja Nainggolan from AS Roma. The Belgian midfielder is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world, and his game is tailor-made for the English Premier League. “Mou” already wanted him during his latest stint at Chelsea, but things did not work back then. However, it seems the chances of him landing at Old Trafford are bigger now.

Even though neither Nainggolan nor Roma have said anything about this potential move, rumours are already starting to fly. And there has been talk about the player considering a switch to the Premier League. His intensity and stamina would perfect on an up-tempo squad, and he would fit perfect in United.

How Would He Fit In Manchester?

Let’s start by saying that Nainggolan would fill a need in the squad. The team has lacked a box-to-box midfielder for years now, and he would be a perfect great to the side.

We can only imagine how Nainggolan would fit in Mourinho’s starting XI. However, imagine him next to Ander Herrera in midfield. Or perhaps creating an all-Belgian duo next to Marouane Fellaini. How about a very attacking-minded CM, with Nainggolan and Pogba? The possibilities are endless, mainly because the Roma starlet can play on a number of roles in the middle of the pitch.

So basically, he could fit in anywhere the manager needs him. Despite playing most of his career as a CM, he is versatile enough to fulfill other positions of needed. Just ask Roma fans, because they saw him as an attacking midfielder several times. And he thrived on that position.

Potential Transfer Fee

If we could compare Nainggolan to another potential transfer target for United, we could say he is quite similar to Arturo Vidal. Much like the Bayern Munich star, Nainggolan can play on three different roles with equal ease. He has featured as DM, CM, and AM. And he has been successful on all three positions, because his role depends on who is playing next to him. He can adjust, something many players struggle to do when moving from one league to another.

The main difference between Nainggolan and Vidal lies on the transfer fee that each would cost. First of all, Bayern do no want to sell Vidal, while Roma “could listen to offers” for Nainggolan. And that’s a big change, because it means United would have to overpay for Vidal, but at the same time they could sign Nainggolan for a fair price.

For what is worth, Transfermarkt has Nainggolan valued at €40 million. If we consider United are close to sign Nemanja Matic for a similar fee, I would say it is not an exhorbitant price. Especially if we consider how the market has been moving over the past few years.

Is he worth the risk?

He might be expensive, but is worth the investment. Nainggolan wants to come here, and there is no question he would improve the side. If the chance arises, United should sign as quickly as possible. The potential arrivals of him and Nemanja Matic would clearly improve the team’s midfield considerably.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*