Agustin Almendra of Boca Juniors celebrates after scoring the first goal of his team during a match between Defensa y Justicia and Boca Juniors as part of Superliga Argentina 2019/20 at Norberto Tomaghello Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Florencio Varela, Argentina. (Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand has urged his former club Manchester United to sign four players in January as they look to mount a challenge for the top four. (h/t The Sun)
When conducting a Q&A on Twitter, the former defender, who won six Premier League titles and the Champions League at Old Trafford, named the Napoli pair of Kalidou Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz (h/t The Sun) as his ideal new signings this month.
Ferdinand also picked out Boca Juniors’ teenage midfielder Agustin Almendra as a ‘wildcard’ addition the club could make, before adding that Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani would be another ideal addition. (h/t The Sun)
Agustin Almendra is a talented 19-year-old central midfielder currently plying his trade at Boca Juniors. He has made 11 appearances across all competitions for Boca this season, scoring a goal.
With the teenager impressing in Boca Juniors colours and certainly catching Ferdinand’s attention, should Manchester United listen to their former star’s advice and make a move?
The Red Devils are struggling for numbers in midfield after injuries to Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, leaving Fred and Nemanja Matic as the only senior options.
Pogba’s future remains shrouded in uncertainty, with his Manchester United team-mates all expecting him to leave this summer. Andreas Pereira and the fit-again Timothy Fosu-Mensah could potentially fill in but there is a lack of depth.
United currently have enough players to sustain the defensive and attacking departments but the midfield desperately needs reinforcements. The inability to replace Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini before the start of the season has come back to bite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose side are 5th in the Premier League table.
Having said that, Agustin Almendra would be a smart fit at Old Trafford. Although he is young and currently plays in a less-competitive league, Almendra’s passing and spatial awareness belie his age.
He is an excellent distributor of the ball and can be an effective dribbler when running at the opposition defenders.
Furthermore, the Argentinean packs a lot of venom with his goal attempts and has a high work-rate both on and off the ball. In the video below, one can see Almendra’s playing style and the qualities he would bring to United if a move goes through.
A versatile customer, Solskjaer could use Almendra as a right-sided midfielder, a central midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker. Thus, the young Argentinean would prove to be a shrewd choice for the Red Devils.
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