Why Kulusevski would be a brilliant addition for Manchester United
According to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira (h/t Daily Star), Manchester United have held talks with Parma midfielder Dejan Kulusevski’s agent.
The highly-rated Kulusevski is currently on a season-long loan at Parma from their Serie A rivals Atlanta. Kulusevski has been impressive this season, featuring in all their 14 league games, scoring 3 goals and assisting 5 times so far.
His excellent performances have earned him a regular spot in the Parma side, with many other top clubs such as Liverpool, Inter Milan and Juventus keen on landing the Swedish youngster, the report claims.
Having joined the Atlanta youth system in 2016, Kulusevski made his Serie A debut with them, coming on as a substitute against Frosinone earlier in January this year.
However, he went on to play only two more matches for Atlanta that season and was soon loaned out to Parma in the summer in order to get more game time.
The 19-year-old, meanwhile, has been flourishing under Parma boss Roberto D’Aversa since making that move this past summer. Predominantly a right-winger, The Swede has been used in a variety of positions by D’Aversa and could be deployed anywhere in the attack.
Taking all this into consideration, signing Kulusevski would provide Solskjaer with more creativity in the middle – something which the side has clearly lacked this season.
United have already made an offer of around £21million for the winger, however, Atalanta president Antonio Percassi has rejected the bid, with the club demanding around £30million for the rising playmaker, the report added.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have had a rather inconsistent season so far under Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils are placed 5th on the table, 5 points short of fourth-placed Chelsea.
For United, problems have been aplenty, with the major one being in the attack. Their attacking midfielders Andreas Pereira, Jesse Lingard, and veteran Juan Mata all look out of form and have not contributed enough for the side till now.
Pereira, who has been Solskjaer’s preferred No. 10 this season, has failed to impress despite being given many chances.
Meanwhile, Jesse Lingard seems out of form and has not made many appearances under Solskjaer. Experienced campaigner Juan Mata, on the other hand, has shown clear signs of ageing and has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have been mostly reliant on the in-form Marcus Rashford, who has scored 10 of their 25 league goals this season. Hence, Solskjaer making a move for the versatile and creative Kulusevski could prove to be a big asset for United, who lack good midfielders up front.
Teenager Kulusevski is a brilliant dribbler of the ball as it is evident from his average of 2.4 dribbles per game. The youngster is also blessed with a good vision, which helps him find his teammates with admirable through balls. His average of 2.4 key passes per game is a testament to the same. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored).
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Verdict
With United having a dearth of good attacking midfielders, Kulusevski’s introduction could solve their problems in front of the goal. The youngster’s versatility and creativity would offer Solskjaer more options in the attack, with many of his seasoned campaigners yet to find form.