Man Utd Fan CLub

Thursday 21 August 2014

Versatile & volatile - Meet Manchester United signing Marcos Rojo


The 24-year-old was impressive at left-back for Argentina at the World Cup and has also improved in the centre during his time with Sporting, though beware his disciplinary record.

Marcos Rojo is the latest man to measure up to the very particular specifications of Louis van Gaal.

The Manchester United boss has been on the look-out for very particular players all summer, to the point where he has prioritised the signing of a left-footed, ball-playing centre-back who can provide cover on the left flank. No mean feat.

And after Thomas Vermaelen chose Barcelona - a decision which left Van Gaal reeling - Rojo shot to the top of the list.

The 24-year-old was impressive at left-back in the Argentina team which reached the World Cup final, and has played centre-back at Sporting for two years, starring as they finished second in Portugal last season.

It would appear he ticks all the boxes, but for all the progress and plus points, United should know what they are getting themselves into.

He certainly has many good attributes; his passing is one of his key strengths as a centre-back, and one which has likely attracted Van Gaal's attentions. He is also a something of a powerhouse, standing over six feet tall with a strong physique, allied to blistering pace and a decent aerial presence.

With United's transfer business now under the spotlight more than ever following their defeat to Swansea, they have been involved in lengthy negotiations with Sporting as their dispute with Rojo and Doyen became very public.

The club sold Eric Dier to Tottenham earlier this summer thanks to a clause in his contract signed off by a previous administration, and this time around chairman Bruno de Carvalho is determined to play hard ball.

De Carvalho has insisted on taking Nani and maybe even Anderson in addition to the initial £16m fee United will pay, as Sporting will barely see a penny of the cash due to the terms of Rojo's deal with Doyen Sports, another agreement signed off by previous owners.

It turns out that signing an Argentina international for €5m was too good to be true, and now it is Manchester United's turn to take a punt on Marcos Rojo.

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