What Should Manchester United Do With Marouane Fellaini?

Marouane Fellaini could be on his way out to Turkey – Credit: The Sun

Marouane Fellaini must be one of the most polarizing players in Manchester United over the past few years.

Some fans love him, and some fans hate him. But one thing is certain. Despite his shortcomings, he always finds a way to end up playing on a regular basis. It happened with David Moyes and with Louis van Gaal. And it hasn’t been any different with Jose Mourinho.

However, The Belgian Tower could be on his way out of Old Trafford. Recent transfer reports have indicated that the former Everton standout has an offer from Galatasaray. And apparently, the Turkish Super League giants are not willing to accept a negative answer. They decided to sign Fellaini at all costs.

The big question here is: what should Manchester United do?

Pros

First, let’s take a look at the positive aspects of keeping Fellaini on the squad.

The first thing that comes to mind is that Fellaini adds some much-needed physicality to the squad. He knows the Premier League inside out. And he is used to play under Jose Mourinho. Fellaini can give the Portuguse tactician exactly what he wants in midfield. Furthermore, he is versatile enough to fill several roles in a single game. He can play as a defensive enforcer, as a playmaker, and even as an attacking midfielder who can hold up the ball in the final third.

Cons

The biggest downside of all the positive aspects is that Nemanja Matic can do EXACTLY all those things. And he can do some even better. He is stronger than Fellaini, more composed on the ball, and can act as the perfect complement for Ander Herrera in midfield. Matic’s arrival has not been confirmed, but recent reports have indicated the Serbian should arrive to Old Trafford in the coming days.

As if that was not enough, Matic has already been successful under the tutelage of Mourinho. The former Benfica player played a key role in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign under Mou, and also thrived last season with Antonio Conte. He might not be the scoring threat Fellaini can be, but it’s not like if Fellaini has scored lots of goals with United either. All things considered, Matic represents an upgrade.

There is also a thing of analysing where Fellaini would stand in the team following Matic’s arrival. Matic and Herrera are likely to start, and Michael Carrick is expected to be the first option off the bench. Paul Pogba can play as a central midfielder as well. And Mourinho is high on two youngsters such as Axel Tuanzebe and Andreas Pereira. So that would leave Fellaini as the fourth-best option for CM.

Verdict

Even though it might hurt the team’s depth, The Red Devils should part ways with Fellaini. He would be wise to leave Manchester United, and the club could use the money that comes with the transfer. Even though terms of the deal have not been disclosed, United could use some extra cash after spending well over the $100 million mark.

Considering Matic could take his place on the roster and with five CMs battling for two spots, Fellaini would find hard to get consistent playing time. So a potential sale works well for all parties involved.