Why Manchester United should pay whatever Borussia Dortmund want for Marcel Schmelzer

Marcel Schmelzer is not a name that springs off the page when you look at the Borussia Dortmund squad sheet but there are several reasons he is ideal for Manchester United.

The first is he’s been selected consistently for Dortmund this season which proves he has consistency playing in one of the most competitive European leagues. This may push his price up but that shouldn’t be too much trouble for United.

He’s already made well over 120 appearances for Dortmund which proves he has the quality needed to perform for a long time at the very highest level.

Given United’s ample resources, it should be quite simple for them to meet any asking price Dortmund put on the 25-year-old’s head.

Secondly, he’s aggressive which is important for any full back playing in the Premier League. He likes to get stuck in as his two yellow cards and one red card (same match) show this season.

The fact he’s only been disciplined in one game also goes a long way to show that he’s not reckless with his aggression and gets his timing right more often than not in terms of tackles and challenges.

It does show that he can stick up for himself in a league which is a lot more physical than the Bundesliga. This means United can throw him in at the deep end against some big physical opponents.

He’s played against an English side this season in the Champions League against Manchester City so he’s got an idea of the current level Premier League sides are playing at.

He’s fit and he’s quick which is very important for United, as Patrice Evra does a lot of work going forward just as he does defensively.

Therefore, they shouldn’t have any worries about Schmelzer struggling to adapt to the pace and conditions of Premier League football.

He’s played in the current German side at international level so he’s on the fringes of the next generation of great German players. If United can snap him up now, then they will benefit from the vast part of his international career.

Most importantly, he’s hungry and although he’s shown no desire to leave Dortmund, he is a target for United and one they should seriously consider. Any interest will trigger his interest in a big way.

What do you reckon? Good replacement for Evra?

image: © Marco Verch

Lewis Doe

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Lewis Doe is a freelance writer and editor who seeks to bring you the biggest, smallest and most interesting stories from the football world. Lewis has previously written for some of the biggest football news and opinion sites in the world including FootballFanCast and Goal.com International. Lewis is also experienced writing in the betting industry and aims to deliver his stories with up to date factual and statistical information. He hopes to sum up stories for the site and provide an angle on the issue moving forward.