Manchester United are reportedly lining up a sensational summer move for Middlesbrough midfielder Marten De Roon, who has impressed Jose Mourinho.
According to Daily Mirror, Middlesbrough midfielder Marten De Roon has become an unlikely candidate to become a Manchester United player this summer. Jose Mourinho has been impressed by the player’s debut season in the Premier League and is set to raid the recently relegated Boro side for the Dutchman.
Marten De Roon is a tireless midfielder who arrived in the Premier League in the summer of 2016 as Middlesbrough brought the player over from Atalanta on a permanent deal. The player impressed with his work-rate and tenacious nature in the debut season.
The 26-year-old became a regular fixture in the side straight away and ended the season with 33 Premier League appearances with 4 goals to his name. And while Boro could not fend off relegation, De Roon earned plaudits from every corner of the league for his displays.
Even Jose Mourinho pointed out De Roon as the standout player as Manchester United earned a smash-and-grab 3-1 win over Boro.
“Boro have a good team, a solid midfield, this kid De Roon is phenomenal, his work-rate is phenomenal, they’re solid and they play direct. We had to fight it, and I have to admit it was hard for us.”
Monk has asked De Roon to stay. Will be pretty difficult with just a £10million release clause.
— UberBoro (@UberBoro) June 26, 2017
At 26, De Roon has or is about to hit the peak form or stage of his career. And while new Boro manager Garry Monk would love to keep the player at the Riverside, the midfielder is likely to move in order to secure football at a higher tier. And, it could very well be at Manchester United.
Ideally, the Red Devils are about to sign Nemanja Matic, who has reportedly agreed personal terms with the club and the Serbian should be enough to replace Michael Carrick in the middle of the park. However, De Roon could also play a significant role as a squad player under Jose Mourinho.
And who knows, Mourinho may still veto Matic’s signing, given the Portuguese had some problems in the second season of his latest stint at Chelsea, that saw Matic being continuously benched or play a role of a squad player. Fabinho is also a target. But, De Roon might be a cheaper alternative.
Also, the 26-year-old has proven himself in the Premier League and would be eager to continue impressing to keep his place in the senior setup for Netherlands. The player is reportedly has a relegation release clause of £10 million – an amount Jose could happily spend in order to get the ‘phenomenal’ player over to Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in Marten De Roon, after his close friend Aitor Karanka recommended the Dutch International to him. pic.twitter.com/q8hv2XsHma
— Coral (@Coral) June 28, 2017
As per the report, De Roon comes highly recommended from Mourinho’s old number two – Aitor Karanka, the manager who brought the player over to the Premier League. The move does make sense and it would be a nice piece of business for the Red Devils.
Manchester United have always made big signings. But, it is often the bargain deals that have helped them win the title under Sir Alex Ferguson – the likes of Javier Hernandez, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji Sung are three of the best examples while Michael Owen also did an exemplary job.
And, it seems Jose Mourinho may be intent on going the Sir Alex Ferguson way in order to restore United’s status in the Premier League.
