Manchester United must steer clear of Marcel Sabitzer transfer
By Mitch Wilks
With the international break and the tail end of the season comes the ever inevitable and always unavoidable transfer gossip, swinging round and slapping football fans in the face harder than ever.
RB Leipzig have been the biggest victims of the international break rumour mill. Dayot Upamecano had already agreed to join Bayern Munich, and now Ibrahima Konate looks set to follow him out of the Leipzig exit door, but for Liverpool instead. On top of that, captain Marcel Sabitzer has also told the club that he wishes to leave this summer, according to reports.
Leipzig airport's departure lounge is set to be busy. Manchester United have been mentioned as one of the clubs interested in Sabitzer, meaning 'Monitoring FC' is officially back from its hiatus.
Sabitzer has been operating as one of Europe's best midfielders in recent seasons, but he isn't exactly the fix to the issues that still remain at Old Trafford. A move feels somewhat unlikely, but also completely unnecessary. It probably wouldn't sit too well with fans either, considering it was Sabitzer's side who went to Old Trafford and got spanked 5-0 last October.
Granted that isn't a true and full reflection of the Austrian, it remains a rather strange deal for United to pursue. Phil Jones is still on the books; let's get those priorities straight this summer, please.
There is no denying Sabitzer's quality, which is why the prospect of signing him at a cut price deal with his contract running low appears so mouth-watering at a glance. Initially impressing as a right winger, Julian Nagelsmann has instead shifted the 27-year-old into a complete midfielder and the engine of his RB Leipzig side. Sabitzer presses intelligently and occupies higher positions to cut out passing lanes and intercept play, before moving it on for teammates or bringing the ball forward himself into dangerous areas, and then finding the killer pass.
His movement on the ball and ability to bring play forward with such speed is testament to his efficiency, as is his versatility, being able to play as a wing back just as comfortably. He has racked up seven goals and six assists from 31 appearances in all competitions so far in 2020/21, which is numbers from deep that United would love to have.
The issue, however, is that Sabitzer wouldn't have such a key role in United's system. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer predominantly sets up his side using a double pivot. Paul Pogba - when fit - occupies one of those spots, while a defensive midfielder sits beside him in the other. As great as it might sound to play Pogba and Sabitzer as a pairing, this unfortunately is real life, meaning death, taxes, and being massively overrun by listening to FIFA Career Mode tactics is all a reality.
Sabitzer would have to replace Pogba in the side. This could've been a possibility last summer, but the Frenchman's recent resurgence in form combined with Solskjaer's desire to keep him around suggests a move might be off the cards for now, no matter what Mino Raiola says. Sabitzer isn't replacing Bruno Fernandes at number ten - obviously - so the only real place for him to slot in is on the right flank.
The Austrian could probably make it work, but is it what United are really looking for? Consider that they signed Daniel James and wanted Jadon Sancho, it obviously isn't. Sabitzer is ultra technical, but he simply isn't the out and out winger who will run at defenders, spring United forward on the counter and put crosses in the box that the club desires.
For the time being, United can actually get away with not fixing that issue. The onus needs to be on shoring up a defence that remains rocky despite seemingly signing a new central defender every transfer window. United need a midfielder, but an out-and-out, deep-lying playmaker who can break up play and allow them to play possession-based football in their own half with more conviction and purpose.
Sabitzer, for how great a player he has blossomed into, is heading into his peak years and needs to be enjoying regular football in a system that suits him. As exciting as a move to United might sounds, he would quickly become a square peg in a round hole at the Theatre of Dreams.
Unless Pogba decides time is up in Manchester in the summer, United must continue to improve more pressing areas.