Pranav Kannan
Manchester United ready to make a move for Bayern Munich superstar Thomas Muller
It is difficult to imagine seeing Thomas Muller play in any jersey other than Bayern Munich’s, but there is a chance we could see him in a Manchester United shirt next season.
It would not be an exaggeration to call Muller a Bayern Munich legend. He has made 680 appearances for the German club’s first team, scoring 279 goals and providing 266 assists. The 34-year-old’s contract expires next summer (Thomas Müller – Stats by club | Transfermarkt).
In addition to this, Muller has also made 126 appearances for his national team, scoring 45 goals during this time. He also won the World Cup with his country in 2014, beating Argentina in a thrilling final (Thomas Müller – National team | Transfermarkt).
Usually, we never see talks of Thomas Muller leaving Bayern. However, with his contract yet to be renewed, United are looking to swoop in, according to the Metro. The Red Devils believe bringing in the 34-year-old will be beneficial for the club.
The immediate question mark that arises is regarding the age of Muller. It is not a secret anymore that his incredible game is on the wane. The question for United though is, why do they want to sign the German superstar?
Tactically speaking, Muller is a self-proclaimed Raumdeuter. Those who play Football Manager will be familiar with this term. A Raumdeuter is German word that means, “space interpreter” and describes a player who is tasked with finding and exploiting spaces in the opposition’s defense. This role is not fixed, and the player’s position on the pitch is determined by where the space is.
So, when it comes to Muller, it makes no sense to talk about his position on a football pitch. The biggest hurdle that Erik ten Hag & co. would face, with respect to the player though is the presence of Bruno Fernandes.
Whilst Bruno is stylistically a different player to Muller, the question is whether the Portuguese international would be okay with playing in a slightly different role and let the German international do his creative magic?
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Before going ahead and pursuing his signing, United will need to outweigh the pros and cons of this transfer. If Erik ten Hag thinks it’s required, then it makes sense to try and make it happen. It is too early to call though as a lot could happen between now and the end of the season.
