Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo has handed in a transfer request and told his club he wants to be allowed to join Manchester United.
Manchester United look the favorites to sign Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon, snubbing interest from clubs such as Southampton after Rojo asked to join United.
Van Gaal missed out on Thomas Vermaelen last week after the Belgian opted to join Barcelona from Arsenal.
Rojo has informed the Portuguese side Sporting CP that he will no longer train with them until the situation is resolved to his satisfaction. Rojo’s action has hardly ingratiated him with Sporting Lisbon management, as the threat of ‘serious action’ has been placed if he refuses to change his attitude. However, we know that in football the player normally gets their wishes, thus increasing the chances of another signing for the Red devils. The Premier League side are constantly searching for players to bolster their defensive options after the departure of Vidic, Evra and Ferdinand.
A centre-back by trade, Rojo has the versatility and physical requirements to play every position on the left side of a defensive formation, including left-back and centre-back in a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2.
The 24-year-old is a player who polarises opinion. While some pundits love his versatility and praise him as an incredible asset, others feel like he isn’t strong enough at one particular position to warrant a big transfer fee. With the Red Devils, he’d likely be a choice centre-back while serving as cover for a potential injury to Luke Shaw.
In conclusion, Sporting Lisbon have faced a bit of a financial crisis in the past few seasons, leading to the sales of players like Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Bruma. With Rojo forcing a move away, it seems unlikely the Portuguese club won’t give in to his demands.
Would Marcos Rojo be a good signing for Mancshester United as they do seem to be in dire need of some defensive cover, or would you have liked to have seen the money spent on a different player? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @TBRFootball .