Manchester United had a really poor month in December. The Red Devils played nine times last month, winning just three games in that time.
One of those came at the start of the month against Everton, a 4-0 thrashing at Old Trafford. They also won 2-1 away to Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League and got a famous 2-1 win away to Manchester City.
However, that was as good as it got for Ruben Amroim’s side. They then went on to lose the next four games, including a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth and a 2-0 loss away from home against relegation-threatened Wolves.
There is no doubt that United need reinforcements during January, and they have been linked with someone who could massively improve their squad.
Man United’s January target at full-back
The player in question here is Bournemouth wing-back Milos Kerkez. The 21-year-old Hungary international has massively impressed for the Cherries this season, and could now depart the club as soon as January.
According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, United are one of four sides interested in signing the defender this January. However, they are set to face competition from three big six Premier League rivals, specifically Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
It is thought that the South Coast side, who are flying in the Premier League this season, are ‘set to play hardball’ with the Red Devils and the other sides interested in signing.
Football Insider reported in December that a £40m bid would be the minimum needed to sign the defender, but they could well hold out for more.
Why Kerkez would be a good signing for Man United
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola has been full of praise for Kerkez throughout the 2024/25 campaign. At the start of November, he explained that the youngster has been “solid this season”.
That is certainly reflected in his stats. Iraola’s trust in the young defender is clear, given he has started him 19 times out of a possible 19 in the Premier League.
He has scored once and grabbed two assists, both of which came in a famous 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Gary Neville has been very outspoken about United’s need for new wing-backs sooner rather than later. The Red Devils legend told Sky Sports that, in the transfer market, the club “have to start with the fundamentals of this system, which is the wing-backs”. The former United captain might be one person relived to see continued links to Kerkez within the past few days.
The Hungarian might be a perfect replacement for Diogo Dalot, who has been playing at left wing-back of late. In fact, Neville was critical of the Portuguese star and Noussair Mazraoui, explaining that neither are “very good in the attacking part of the pitch”. Dalot has managed just one assist so far this term in 19 Premier League games.
This is certainly a cause for concern for Amorim, and the statistical numbers back up the theory that Kerkez would be an attacking improvement. As the stats via Squawka show, the gap between the two is clear to see.
For example, the 21-year-old Cherries defender creates an average of 1.1 chances and completes 0.9 crosses per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season. In comparison, Dalot creates just 0.8 chances each game and completes just 0.2 crosses. The difference is stark.
Chances created
1.1
0.8
Crosses attempted
2.9
1.6
Crosses completed
0.9
0.2
Forward passes
14.9
14.9
Take-on success rate
52.94%
50%
It certainly seems like signing Kerkez, a flying wing-back who can get up and down the left flank with ease, would be an upgrade on Dalot. He is statistically better, with higher attacking output and an excellent engine.
The youngster was described as “one of the best young left-backs in football” by football scout Antonio Mango. That definitely seems like the kind of player that would be a great addition to Amroim’s squad as he looks to climb the Premier League.
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