Recent reports from Manchester Evening News have suggested Manchester United could revive their long-standing interest in Douglas Costa when the transfer window reopens in January.
The 31-cap Brazilian winger was previously a target for Jose Mourinho, but MEN claim Costa was once in Sir Alex Ferguson’s crosshairs as well and interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will lean on the Old Trafford legend for advice during his temporary spell in charge.
Hardly the most convincing link we’ve seen in the buildup to the January transfer window, but what would be the ramifications of a mid-season deal for the Old Lady attacker? Football FanCast consider the potential consequences…
Right wing issue finally solved
The right wing position has been a problem at United for several years now, dating back to Antonio Valencia’s shift from midfield to defence. Throughout Mourinho’s time in charge, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez have all been tested there but proved far less effective than when cutting in from the opposite flank.
That’s left Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard as the other options, but the former has never been able to nail down a long-term place in United’s starting XI, and Lingard too is at his best in a more central position – like the No.10 slot he took up for England at the World Cup during the summer.
Signing Costa, a left-footer who has made a career as a right winger, would immediately solve that issue and end the era of square pegs being shoved into round holes to complete United’s attack. That should, in turn, bring a lot more balance to the team going forward.
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Less game-time for Lingard
While Costa’s arrival would end a long-standing headache on the right, it would also inevitably impact Lingard’s game-time. Although he’s been one of United’s form players over the last few weeks, there’s still an inconsistency to the 26-year-old and the right wing berth often highlights his key weaknesses, chiefly a lack of pace that stops him from beating defenders one-on-one.
Costa would free up Lingard to take a more central position in the midfield, but it seems unlikely that Solskjaer will play him as a No.10 with Paul Pogba just behind. During United’s outings thus far under the Norwegian icon, he’s ensured the Frenchman is given a much freer role in the engine room to unleash his creative and goalscoring qualities.
Next permanent manager suffers same problems as Mourinho
Although signing Costa would solve an immediate problem for Solskjaer, the Juventus man also represents precisely the kind of trap United should be trying to steer away from. The South American is already 28 years of age and while he may be desired by Solskjaer in the short-term, eventually he’ll be inherited by whoever is made United’s permanent manager in the summer.
The squad is already a complete mishmash of Sir Alex Ferguson’s old boys, David Moyes flops, Louis van Gaal signings and Jose Mourinho’s incredibly costly additions, none of which fit one specific ethos, philosophy or strategy. Costa would be just another player thrown into that mix, who doesn’t relate to any particular identity.
Mourinho no doubt played a huge hand in the club’s shortcomings over the last 18 months but United’s scattergun approach in the transfer market was a key factor as well. The last thing the club’s next manager needs is to be hindered by it in the same way Mourinho often was, and find himself in a situation where he doesn’t want a player who was signed just six months previously.
