Manchester United are reportedly interested in a move for Ajax starlet Justin Kluivert. The player has his roots deep-set in football, as he is the son of former Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert. He made his foray into the senior team for the Dutch champions only in January this year but his displays have been impressive enough for him to become a regular. In fact, the winger has already scored 6 goals while providing the same number of assists in the Eredivisie.
He is quite versatile and can play in a number of attacking roles, which includes playing on either flank. At 18 years of age, he does seem like an exciting long-term prospect and Jose Mourinho is understood to be eyeing him as a backup option for AS Monaco star Thomas Lemar, according to Yahoo Sport (h/t Metro)
Although we have had Lemar on our radar for quite some time, it might be tough and expensive to land him ahead of so many other clubs. I mean, he is rated at somewhere around £92million and the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all in red-hot pursuit.
The player rose to international fame after his spirited performances for Monaco in the Champions League last season and his reputation further solidified after he played a role in helping the French club lift the Ligue 1 trophy. His displays continue to be brilliant and there is no doubt he would be a massive signing for us. Although he is primarily a left-winger, Lemar can also play on the right wing.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has just been one massive disappointment so far in that area. Jesse Lingard has been doing decently but we lack movement and attacking intent in the final third and a player like Lemar could address those issues.
However, landing him seems like a 50-50 possibility now and we cannot afford to not get reinforcements in that area in January. Hence, in such a situation, aiming for a player like Kluivert seems like a step in the right direction.
He is young, boasts of good pace and is quite creative. Despite being so young, he knows how to read the game in a mature manner, which translates to effective decision-making on the field. Kluivert needs to work on his defensive contribution but that is a matter for another day. For now, he can do everything we need on the wing and could prove to be a viable option in terms of creating chances and injecting some sharpness into the attack.
