3. Replacement for Vidic
Most good central defensive partnerships are formed by a pair with complimenting characteristics. Vidic had the aerial presence and went ahead to clear balls while Ferdinand had the more cultured approach and mopped up behind Vidic. This combination served United well over the last 4-5 years, but with Ferdinand on the brink of retirement, and Vidic’s contract situation unresolved, Dante might be the perfect replacement for the big Serbian.
Dante has similar attributes to Vidic- he is dominant in the air and looks to come forward to intercept play and make clearances, and would almost be a like for like replacement. However, with his comfort on the ball, he could equally comfortably slot into the Ferdinand role if need be, i.e. he’d be comfortable playing with any of United’s other center backs. At 30, he may not have many years left in him, but he has enough experience at the top level to fill the gap that will be created by the two experienced campaigners.
Stats Courtesy: Squawka