Tottenham should swoop in and steal Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United
Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele have had amazing seasons in Tottenham’s midfield, but Spurs need more cover. Morgan Schneiderlin would be the perfect addition.
If Manchester United are silly enough to give up on Morgan Schneiderlin after just one season at Old Trafford, then Tottenham would be wise to take him off the Red Devils’ hands. Spurs will need more midfield options to cope with the pressures of Champions League football next season and Schneiderlin would be the perfect addition.
Back Page Football is reporting that United are keen on shipping out the French midfielder along with Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo this summer. Schneiderlin came to Old Trafford with high expectations after his excellent form at Southampton, but has been unable to replicate his play for United. Depending on which manager patrols the sidelines for United next season, Schneiderlin could easily find himself on the transfer list.
If he does, then Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino should strongly urge Daniel Levy to arrange a reunion for he and the defensive midfielder. Schneiderlin played the best football of his career under Poch on the South Coast and would likely be very receptive to a Spurs inquiry. The North London club was linked strongly with the French star before his move to United, but were ultimately outbid by Louis van Gaal and United.
While Schneiderlin hasn’t looked comfortable or on his game for United this year, he’s had a decent statistical season. He’s played in 23 Premier League matches for van Gaal and has posted a pretty solid Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.01. That’s half a point lower than his playing average during his best season under Pochettino at Southampton, but it certainly isn’t as bad as some United fans would have you believe.
It’s reasonable to believe that Schneiderlin’s performance has been negatively impacted by all of the turmoil surrounding him at United. In addition, he’s been forced to partner with a less than ideal cadre of defensive midfield partners. The trio of Marouane Fellaini, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick has struggled mightily which has put the French international under additional pressure.
As a result, it’s a good bet that his form would experience a sharp up-tick if he were paired in a more comfortable system, with better surrounding talent. Spurs certainly have both given Pochettino’s high press system and the likes of Dier and Dembele to partner with. It’s very possible that Schneiderlin could regain all of the form that made him such a coveted player at Southampton if he made the move to North London.
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Parting with Morgan Schneiderlin would be a huge Manchester United mistake, but their transfer record hasn’t exactly been exemplary as of late. If they do choose to cut bait on their French midfielder, Tottenham shouldn’t hesitate to add him for their Champions League campaign.