Barcelona are pondering a January move for out-of-favour Manchester United defender Daley Blind, with the Catalans eyeing reinforcements at the back.
Spanish publication Marca are claiming that Barcelona are looking for cheap defensive reinforcements come January. One of the shock targets on their list is reportedly utility man Daley Blind, who has been out-of-favour recently at Manchester United and could be looking to move.
Daley Blind was brought in by Louis Van Gaal upon his arrival at Manchester United. The Dutch international was an instant hit at Old Trafford, with his ability to be deployed in defence – centre-back and left-back – and in the midfield as well. Under his former Netherlands boss, he thrived, playing every Premier League match in the 2014-15 campaign, whenever fit.
The trend followed in the campaign after but soon changed upon the arrival of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese has always been a man who prefers natural players in each position. But, to many’s surprise, Blind was afforded a lot of game time, with 23 Premier League appearances an evidence to the same.
However, the present season has not panned out well so far. While the first few games saw Blind become a regular name in the starting lineup, he was soon displaced by Ashley Young at left-back and it now seems that Mourinho has begun giving chances to Luke Shaw as well, which sees Blind trickle down the pecking order.
Daley Blind presented as an option for Barcelona. https://t.co/TYJoG0yG7l #mufc #fcblive pic.twitter.com/qPqoQmE5cd
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) December 14, 2017
There are murmurs that Jose Mourinho has been told to sell before he adds any more players to the squad and that Blind could be on the chopping block when the January transfer window opens.
And Barcelona could swoop in to rescue the Dutchman. The Catalans have been forced to recruit in January, with an injury to Javier Mascherano running the central defensive options thin.Blind could also come in handy to fill in other gaps, in case a need does arise.
But while Blind is a realistic target, the report does state that there are doubts as to his ability to perform at the highest level. The player is certainly not setting the stage alight in England right now and could very well be a bit rusty coming in, which would not bode well for Barcelona’s fortunes.
This looks like a move that could very well happen come January. However, Barcelona will likely turn to Blind as a last resort and will attempt other targets first.
