Manchester United Tipped To Lodge Bid For South American Playmaker: A Wise Choice For Solskjaer? | OneFootball

According to TNT Sports, Manchester United are keen on Nicolas De La Cruz. The River Plate attacking midfielder is tipped to move to Europe in the summer, with Man United and Fiorentina weighing up a move. It is believed that the Red Devils are interested in de la Cruz with Edinson Cavani recommending him and might be willing to fork out €16 million to €20 million for the player.

Who Is Nicolas De La Cruz?

A product of the Liverpool academy in his native Uruguay, Nicolas De La Cruz has achieved many great things since his move to River Plate in 2017. He has notched up 118 appearances for the club, winning the Argentine Cup twice as well as the Copa Libertadores in 2017/18.

An attacking midfielder by trade, De La Cruz has impressed the onlookers with his chance creation. He has contributed to as many as 28 assists for River Plate while also chipping in 18 goals in all competitions.

The 24-year-old’s exploits in the creative department have helped him attract the eyes of national team coach Oscar Tabarez as well. In fact, De La Cruz has already won eight caps for his nation and is representing Uruguay in the ongoing Copa America.

Regular followers of South American football rate Nicolas De La Cruz highly, because of his ability to craft goalscoring opportunities. He is, though, quite a versatile operator as well and can play in a variety of different roles including wide midfield and central midfield, in addition to his favoured number ten position.

Is He A Good Option For Manchester United?

Manchester United haven’t had much success with the signing of Donny van de Beek last summer. The Dutchman fell behind Bruno Fernandes in the pecking order, thus raising question marks over his long term future at the club.

The Red Devils are also expected to lose Juan Mata, who is in the final phase of his career while the returning Jesse Lingard may also opt for a permanent move elsewhere following his success at West Ham.

It has forced Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer to find a playmaker who can provide backup for Fernandes. And this is where Nicolas De La Cruz comes into the fray, having had a lot of success during his time at River Plate.

Man United themselves have shown a desire to pick South American talents in recent years – making the Uruguayan an appealing target. He is not expected to cost a fortune either and might be an ideal replacement for not only Mata but also for van de Beek, if the Dutchman does end up leaving Old Trafford in the summer. And given the player’s relationship with Cavani, the Uruguayan international might not be a bad investment at all.