Stories from the likes of The Guardian and The Express indicating that United may be making a move in the £13 – 15M range for centre back Aleksandar Dragovic has set the Twitterverse ablaze as fans attempt to determine who Dragovic is and what he may be bringing to the club.
Dragovic is an Austrian-born 23 year old that is currently playing for Dynamo Kiev and the Austria National Team, and from what is seen in video highlights, would provide some valuable features at the back:
At the top of my list for reasons United should sign Dragovic is his ability to mark his opposition. United has been exceptionally vulnerable on set pieces this year and the ability to stick with the offensive player on the ground and in the air is a critical feature.
Second, Dragovic has impressive poise and positioning in the box. His ability to read field play and adjust to be ready for the incoming shot or pass would bring calm to the chaos that seems to still happen on United’s defensive side. There are numerous instances of him moving well into position to kick the ball clear, and his heading is marked as well .
Third, he is able to hold possession and maneuver with the ball with some speed. This would be well received by Van Gaal, as the style of play he wants to dictate is one of possession. While I saw some good passes, I also saw a lot of good possession, taking the ball well into the opposition’s territory; being able to move the ball forward would allow the strikers to get into better position, and would help against counters and breaks.
I think this would be a good move for United, at a reasonable price compared to some of the options we’ve been scouting; however, according to The Express, Dragovic still has a 3 1/2 year contract with Dynamo Kiev, so let’s see what happens.
