Manchester United have strengthened their defence with Leny Yoro and attack with Joshua Zirkzee, which means midfield is next on the agenda.
Negotiations with Manuel Ugarte have hit a bit of a roadblock due to Paris Saint-Germain’s demands which can’t work for United.
They are already in effectively “sell to buy” mode due to being dangerously close to Profit and Sustainability Rules breaching.
What they need is money from sales or a bargain who can improve their squad instantly. It would be even better if the bargain can eventually improve to become a key player for the team.
Enter Richard Rios, the Copa America superstar for Colombia who has recently been linked to Man United.
Fans react- Richard Rios to Man Utd reports
Whenever a player link comes out of nowhere, there is always cautious excitement among the fans, especially at United.
That is because the likes of Nemanja Vidic or Patrice Evra, who weren’t highly-publicised arrivals at the time, gained legendary status at the club.
There is a certain charm to a player coming from the left field and shattering expectations when transfer news is diluted by incessant reports and non-update “updates” on a player’s transfer.
Fans reacted to Rios with the same cautious excitement but as they got to see glimpses of the player, they delivered their verdict soon after.
One wrote, “As a fellow Colombian, please get him. He’s got everything in his locker to be a special player even if it’s as a squad player”.
Another was even more bullish in their assessment, “Rio is a beast. The intensity and physicality he plays with is lethal!”. One fan thought this is the type of signing United should be making with more regularity, “He is an exciting prospect. Reminds me of the kind of signings suggested by Ralf Rangnick. Could work out very well for us.”
Fans agreed with the “hidden gem” assessment as one said, “Good to find gems like him and have him develop at United”. Another echoed a similar sentiment, “Can tell football people run the club now. This “non-popular” underrated name is exactly what we need”.
It remains to be seen if the links lead to anything concrete but the fans have announced their verdict with one summing up the sentiment in just five words- “Certified baller. Get him in!”.
Making sense of the links
Rios is more of a “defensive-minded central midfielder” than a pure defensive midfielder. To understand the difference, we recently analysed Manuel Ugarte’s style of play.
If he were to arrive, it is highly unlikely that he can be considered a replacement for Casemiro or a cheaper alternative to Ugarte because of the difference in their playing style.
Rios is likely to be a squad option who replaces Christian Eriksen if the Dane departs. Rios is more physical than Eriksen and not a liability in defence, but he lacks the latter’s passing repertoire.
If Erik ten Hag is insistent on making United a transitional outfit with physical monsters, it makes sense to move away from players like Eriksen and replace them with Rios.
He is just coming off a star-making Copa America where Colombia were crowned runners-up so his stock is at an all-time high.
At £17 million, he still feels like a gamble worth taking due to the potential upside and tactical fit at United. The interest in him will only increase now that he has hit mainstream so the onus is on United to act quickly. They already know what the fans think!
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