Why Man United have missed a trick in not signing this pacy Dutch teenager in the summer

Machester United missed a trick by not signing Justin Kluivert

Jose Mourinho’s side haven’t made the best possible start to the season to their Premier League campaign. The Red Devils have managed to accumulate only 3 points from their first two games. After a hard fought 2-1 victory over Leicester City on the opening day, Manchester United crumbled to a shock 3-2 defeat away at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Jose Mourinho’s tactics have come under scrutiny following their lacklustre start to the season and the manager has come under criticism for not making the best use of his players.

As  the Mirror puts it down, Patrick Kluivert has backed his son Justin Kluivert’s decision to decline a move to Manchester United and join Serie A club AS Roma this summer.

According to reports by the Guardian last season, Jose Mourinho was keen to bring Justin Kluivert to Old Trafford and the youngster was interested in a move to the Premier League after Ajax failed to meet his increased wage demands.

But the Ajax wonderkid ultimately chose to try his luck in the Serie A and snubbed a move to United. With United struggling to make an impact in the attacking third this season, it can be argued that Jose Mourinho definitely missed a trick by failing to lure the 19-year-old to his club.

United have brought in Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk and the Brazilian has shown glimpses of his elegance as a promise for better things to come but the Red Devils have missed that much-needed cohesion in the final third.

Romelu Lukaku, although a prolific goalscorer, has his limitations as a center-forward. His blunt touches and a lack of composure have let United down on multiple occasions. On the other hand, Marcus Rashford has failed to link up the play with the Belgian in the attacking third.

A product of Ajax’s youth system, Kluivert made his first-team debut in the Eredivisie in 2017 and scored a hat-trick later in the same year. He has scored 13 goals in 56 appearances for Ajax and also made his debut for the Netherland’s senior team earlier this year.

Considering these, someone like Justin Kluivert would have been an invaluable addition to United’s squad. The young Dutchman boasts of multiple attributes that make him a perfect winger-cum-forward.

The youngster has lightning pace and does not back away from taking on defenders in the attacking third. Kluivert’s style of play is not only about pace and dribbling skills. Capable of playing on either flank, Kluivert has shown maturity beyond his years with his excellent off-the-ball movement and has the ability to time his runs perfectly.

Deployed down the wings or in the heart of the attacking third as the supporting striker, Kluivert has good vision to spot the run of the center-forward. Hence, not only can he be resourceful to the team in terms of goals but also has the knack of conjuring critical assists.

Not only is he immaculate with his crossing but also has the guile and the physicality to run past defenders from the sides. He has shown amazing composure in front of the goal and possesses admirable shooting ability from close range and also long range.

The Dutchman has got a good footballing mind and reads the game very well. Still only 19, the youngster is capable of carrying the bulk of the attacking workload on his shoulders.

Having someone like Justin Kluivert on the field would have injected pace into Mourinho’s style of play. He would have given the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stiff competition for a place in the line-up.

With his picture-perfect crossing and ability to assist, he would have been a perfect feeder for Romelu Lukaku and could have exploited the Belgian’s aerial ability to United’s advantage. Considered as an impact player, Kluivert could have been Manchester United’s super-sub.

Read More: Forget Pogba – 3 top-class replacements who Man United could target including £107m star

That said, if United do not sort out their problems and get their campaign back on track with consistent wins, the failure to pen the signature of this promising talent may come back to bite them later in the season.