Bharath Rammr
Patrice Evra has been linked with a stunning return to Old Trafford in this January transfer window, as Juventus recently confirmed that the defender was considering his future away from the Italian club. The French defender spent eight years at Old Trafford during which time he managed to win every honour apart from the FA Cup. He remains immensely popular among fans after giving his 100% to the club during this period. Not many expected him to captain the club after coming as a relative unknown from Monaco in 2006. After a long spell with the club, he moved to Juventus two years ago for around £1.2 million.
Even though he was a first-team regular under Massimiliano Allegri’s team even as recent as last season, the defender has been abruptly dropped from the first team since the start of the season. It comes as a major shock to the player, who agreed a one-year contract extension along with the option of another year only in the summer. The recent developments led to the player considering offers from other clubs and most recently, he has been linked with a move to the Premier League outfit Crystal Palace, according to the Sun.
Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta claimed that Evra was recently left out of the squad against Bologna under mutual agreement, as the player was taking time to consider his future. At almost 36 years of age, he may continue his playing career only if he joins a club like Crystal Palace who are desperate for some experience to help them out of relegation in the Premier league. If the Frenchman comes to Old Trafford, it is highly likely to be in a coaching capacity under Jose Mourinho.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister reckons that the Red Devils may benefit by bringing back Evra, as the Frenchman was a winner and someone who knew the club extremely well. As quoted by Star Sports, he said:
“He was very popular with the fans and he’s a great lad.
“He’s got bundles of energy and would be a great character to have in there but he’s at a certain age now.
“The left-back spot is there to be grabbed though because Luke Shaw has been injured and Darmian has had to fill in despite being right-footed.”
One of the reasons speculated for the club’s struggles in the last few years has been the lack of continuity. Immediately upon arriving as the replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes brought in his own coaching staff from Everton and this led to the departures of Mike Phelan and a whole host of names who were under Ferguson for a long time.
Even though Moyes retained Giggs in a coaching capacity, it may have not been enough. Jose Mourinho may have turned things around in the last two months by winning the last nine matches in all competitions, but that is still a feeling at the club that going back to Ferguson days would actually help them perform even better. This involves going back to the training sessions and routines followed by the Scot. Evra could play the role of Giggs if he comes to the club this month.
