7 Goals And 5 Assists: Could This Midfielder Be The Answer To Manchester United's Problem?

Manchester United failed to control the midfield against Everton on Wednesday evening and as a result failed to get anything out of the game as the Toffees returned to Merseyside with a 1-0 win. United did have a good game, though, but they couldn't penetrate the Everton backline. If they had this man in their team, however, then it could have been a different story, as I think he is the perfect player for David Moyes to move for in January.

Ivan Rakitic is currently plying his trade for Sevilla in La Liga, and he's doing a very good job of it. He's an energetic player who loves to burn up the ground as he zips around the central areas and frustrates opponents.

He's creative, too, and he has proved this season that goals aren't a problem for him. The 25-year-old has already scored seven goals in the Spanish topflight and has claimed five assists, far superior to anything the current Manchester United squad have mustered this term.

The thing that I like about Rakitic though is how he keeps the ball moving. He has averaged 61 passes per game this season and created 36 chances from those, and in my opinion is exactly what is needed to inject some life back into the United midriff.

He is a player who I compare to the rest of the current crop combined - he has the passing range of Carrick, the energy levels of Cleverley and the creativity of Kagawa, blend them together and add some end product on that and you find yourself with Ivan Rakitic, the 59-time Croatia international.

stats via Who Scored