Manchester United have been linked with defensive reinforcements this January with the team looking shaky at the back, and they suffered three consecutive defeats on the turn of the new year. Considering the injury worries and lack of cover in central defence, a move for Benfica’s Argentine central defender Ezequiel Garay could be a wise one, and here are three reasons why.
Garay is not a no-nonsense defender and his strengths lie in intercepting and reading the game- he has a calm, composed manner and is comfortable on the ball. For both Benfica and Argentina, he is the starting point in getting the ball forward to more creative souls, thanks to his comfort in possession and crisp passing.
At Benfica, much of Garay’s success has been due to his central-defensive partner Luisao emerging from the defensive line to win aerial duels with Garay sweeping up any danger behind him. It would be very similar at United, as his more cultured approach would dove-tail nicely with skipper Nemanja Vidic’s no-nonsense physical style.
Garay possesses an excellent technical ability, and will provide a South American flair to an otherwise straightforward back-line. To top it all off, Garay has the ability to get crucial goals which may come in handy, especially with United traditionally relying on getting goals from all over the pitch.
Garay scored 9 goals in 30 league appearances for Racing Santander in the 2006/07 season, which was his most prolific by far. He has scored a total of 23 goals in 260 appearances for club and country, and with United’s high quality set-piece specialists, he can become a dangerous proposition for opposition defences.
While Manchester United isn’t exactly lacking in center-backs, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are past their prime while Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are yet to show any consistency with Jonny Evans yet to be a regular starter. With Rio Ferdinand contemplating retirement, Garay could be the ideal long-term replacement for the Englishman.
The 27-year old Garay will be entering his prime and already has sufficient experience in the La Liga, the Portuguese league and the Champions League to establish himself as the first choice at the club. He has had few fitness concerns in the last few years, and he could be the man to bring stability and consistency to United’s injury-plagued defense.
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