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Why Brighton should avoid a £7m deal for this injury-prone 23-year-old and sign a better player

Former Manchester United youngster Paddy McNair is reportedly on the radar of Premier League side Brighton, who are set to sign the 23-year-old Northern Irish defender for £7m. The Sunderland midfielder couldn’t save his team his team from being relegated from the Championship last season. But it seems he could play in the Premier League next season as Brighton are interested in snapping him up in the summer.

Brighton were in a relegation battle themselves last term, but the Seagulls ultimately steered cleared to safety and finished in the 15th spot. But the club need to strengthen their squad if they want to fare better next season. But will the signing of McNair benefit Chris Houghton’s team? We don’t think so. Why? Read on!

Coming off a horrible season

Sunderland, who used to be a constant fixture in the Premier League a few seasons ago, now find themselves in League One, owing to back-to-back relegations. Most of the Sunderland players were woeful in the past two seasons, including McNair.

Brighton should be wary of signing a player who has endured two hugely under-performing seasons, which could have a serious impact on his morale.

Simply put – nothing special

McNair is a committed professional footballer no doubt but that’s about it. Although the Northern Irishman is capable of playing in a number of positions across defence and midfield, he doesn’t manage to stand out in any given role. Primarily played as a defensive midfielder, McNair is only decent at breaking down attacks.

Even while going forward, the Manchester United academy graduate isn’t great with his passing and creativity. All in all, McNair is not someone, whose signing will make the Brighton fans excited. And moreover, there are better alternatives available.

Uninspiring numbers

A midfielder should maintain certain standards and his stats should be able to back him up. But McNair’s 1.1 tackles and 0.1 interceptions per game as a defensive midfielder are very disappointing numbers. Even in terms of passing, the Sunderland player managed to complete only 76% of his passes per game, that too while from the deep.

Other than the technical traits, McNair also failed to exert himself physically as the 189cm player only managed to win 1.5 aerial duels per game. Judging by the numbers, it’s easy to see how bang average McNair has been across numerous aspects of the game.

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