A good signing for Manchester United? Serie A defender assessed
Football statistics analysts WhoScored.com assess whether Manchester United should make a move for Torino full-back Matteo Darmian. Check out WhoScored.com for lots more Man United stats.
Manchester United’s defensive frailties are still clear for all to see.
While the 2012/13 champions sit just one point off fourth in England’s top tier, the position masks what has been an underwhelming start to the season.
Louis van Gaal’s side have the attacking firepower to rival any team in Europe’s top five leagues, but a leaky backline has held them back this term.
Unsurprisingly, the team continues to be linked with moves for defenders, the latest of which is Torino’s Matteo Darmian.
Though not a centre-back, a real problem position for United at the moment, the 24-year-old is a highly accomplished full-back who would strengthen the team.
His WhoScored.com rating (6.85) may have dropped from recent years, but Darmian is still widely considered a highly-capable performer in Italy’s top tier.
Able to play at right-back or left-back, the Italy international’s versatility would be a bonus for Van Gaal in his quest to restore United as England’s dominant side.
However, it remains to be seen whether United should be pursuing Darmian. Strength in numbers is essential for any team, but his drop in form has question marks lingering over whether he can fulfil his potential.
From an attacking viewpoint, it’s easy to pinpoint why Darmian’s influence has dipped. Torino sold their two prized attacking talents – Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci – over the summer, with all three of Darmian’s assists last season coming for Immobile goals.
This term, however, the defender is yet to register a league assist, despite playing considerably more key passes per game (1.7) than he was last campaign (0.8).
He can clearly make an impact in the final third, but Torino’s inability to adequately replace Immobile and Cerci has hindered Darmian. The offensive side of his game would undeniably appeal to Van Gaal, who, in his most-used 4-3-1-2 formation, requires his full-back’s to press on and provide width when pushing forward.
With Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney at Van Gaal’s disposal, Darmian would thrive, especially if he can transfer his attacking performances from Serie A to the Premier League.
However, the player he would likely compete with for a starting spot is Brazilian Rafael. Since Van Gaal moved from a three-man to a four-man defence, Rafael has performed admirably.
His WhoScored.com rating (7.27) is the fourth best of all United players to have registered at least 400 minutes of league action this term and Rafael has impressed since coming back into the team after being linked with a move away from Old Trafford.
The United defender is averaging both more tackles (3) and interceptions per game (3.2) than Darmian (1.8 and 1.2, respectively), while also registering an assist this term, despite averaging significantly fewer key passes per match (0.6).
With that in mind, using the money to bring in a full-back may not be the best course of action for United. An experienced centre-back should be a priority for Van Gaal’s side in the January transfer window and while Darmian would be a good acquisition, he is not what they need right now.