Yet another tawdry international break is to be suffered over the next fortnight as a sort of terrible and protracted hangover from the party in Brazil over the summer.
It’s difficult to imagine too many observers looking forward to these international fixtures. But Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal could be in that minority.
After all of the injuries that he’s had to deal with of late this period will give his crocked squad some time to recover. Players like Evans, Jones, Rafael and Falcao will surely be in contention for the squad which travels to Arsenal for the match on 22nd November.
But whoever recovers in time, many fans believe that further additions are needed, particularly in the defensive areas. Various reports today suggest that Manchester United will pursue the brilliant French youngster Aymeric Laporte in the coming window.
Aymeric Laporte is currently inching his way across Manchester United’s radar. Despite his tender years, the 20 year old central defender and occasional left-back has a £30m release clause in his contract and has previously attracted interest from Arsenal and Barcelona
If Manchester United really want this lad then they needn’t worry about interest from Barcelona – they are banned from conducting transfers until January 2016 – but he remains one of the most sought after players in Europe. He has amazing skill for one who calls himself a defender, to add to his great positional sense and overall reliability.
If he matures as everyone expects then we could soon be talking about a player in the Rio Ferdinand bracket: a cultured defender who does the basic things well but offers the first touch of a top striker.
While he seems like a great investment there is a feeling that Louis van Gaal wants to invest in a more experienced defender to complement the abundance of young talent in the squad. But, if available, Laporte would be difficult to turn down regardless of age. Because the 20 year old looks like the real deal, having been a major catalyst in Athletic Bilbao’s qualification for The Champions League last season.