Goals from midfield
Pjanic loves breaking forward from midfield, and often gets into dangerous positions in and around the opposition penalty box. United’s midfield has been missing that kind of drive- Anderson is the only one capable of providing that kind of dynamism, but his career has hit a road block in recent seasons. Anderson’s passing has let him down and he has consistently failed to pick out the right ball. Pjanic would combine the drive of Anderson with the passing ability of Michael Carrick.
Pjanic is not afraid of taking on opponents, and has attempted 61 take-ons this season, i.e. an average of 3.2 take-ons per appearance, with an outstanding 59% success rate. To top it all off, he has the ability to hit the target from outside the box, something that has been missing since Paul Scholes retired. In fact two of his three league goals this season have been shots from outside the box into the top corner. So far this season, he averages 1.5 shots per game with an accuracy of 38%, and his arrival would add a credible goal threat to United’s midfield.