Red Devils Eye Former Man City Midfielder - Why AC Milan Man Could Be A Great Back-Up

Manchester United have been very productive in the transfer window so far, with the Red Devils showing no signs of stopping despite the fact that their new manager, Louis van Gaal, has taken the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw have put pen to paper on contracts and look to be just a couple of new faces United fans will see next season.

The Netherlands boss is using the World Cup to evaluate other targets, sometimes first hand. However, he hasn't neglected his own team in the search for talent. It is clear that van Gaal is also eying to add depth to his team as Patrice Evra now has Shaw to compete with. The Daily Star are reporting that United are looking to try to sign Nigel de Jong.

However, the Red Devils have already secured the services of Ander Herrera who plays in de Jong's position. A resolution to this problem is that the Dutchman can be used as a back-up to Herrera. De Jong would also add his pitbull-like qualities to the side as, while he isn't big in stature, he can prove to be a more daunting opponent than most. This is because of his aggression and fearless nature, especially in his tackling.

But, Herrera, while less aggressive, is a more complete midfielder than de Jong. The range in his passing is superb and he is very well-disciplined. The Spaniard is also quite productive going forward as well and, despite statistics suggesting otherwise, he can create chances. Making defence-splitting passes is his main method of causing havoc in the final third. De Jong doesn't really have that cutting edge in attack.

Ultimately, the Dutchman could be a good signing for United, but only as a back-up to Herrera.