THE trophy Manchester United hands every year to its Player of the Season is a scaled-down replica of the Sir Matt Busby statue that stands outside Old Trafford, with the award itself named after the great manager.
In recent years, though, it might as well have been named after David De Gea, who has lifted the trophy in four of the last five years. The only man to have broken this one-man monopoly? Ander Herrera.
Over the 2016/17 season, the Spanish midfielder was the best player at Old Trafford, becoming a key pillar of Jose Mourinho’s team. And yet Herrera’s Man Utd career to date has been grossly inconsistent, falling in and out of the side depending on the mood of whoever is in the dugout at any given time.
I’ll go crazy if we let Ander Herrera leave for free this summer considering we gave Phil Jones a new 4-year-contract.
— Ryan. (@Vintage_Utd) March 21, 2019
Herrera may have been named Manchester United’s Player of the Year under Mourinho, but the Portuguese coach largely failed to get the best out of the midfielder. Herrera should have been the perfect Mourinho player. The 29-year-old has the kind of edge that makes him a target for opposition fans, the kind of edge that makes a Man of the Match performance just as likely as a red card before half time. These are the sort of players Mourinho can usually mould, but not in this case.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, it's different. Herrera has formed a formidable midfield partnership with both Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba with each player offering something different. Between the three, United have protection, control, energy, creativity and drive, but Herrera is the only member of the trio to boast something in each category.
It’s therefore somewhat ironic that having finally made himself an indispensable first team pick Herrera’s future at Manchester United is in doubt, with the Spaniard’s contract up at the end of the season. While the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young have all signed new deals to extend their stay at Old Trafford in recent weeks, no such extension has been signed by Herrera.
Sources close to Herrera suggest he wants to stay at United, but with every passing week, with a contract extension still not signed, he edges closer to the exit door, particularly as Paris Saint-Germain monitor the situation. Indeed, the French champions are reportedly interested in the Spaniard with the player himself describing the links as “logical.” It’s believed Paris are willing to offer Herrera £150,000 a week.
Reports tonight that Ander Herrera is on the verge of a shock free transfer to PSG this summer. This would be very bad business. He needs to get a new contact as soon as possible. One of very few leaders in our squad and a player who has genuine love for us and the fans!
— The Man Utd Way (@TheManUtdWay) March 21, 2019
United can’t allow Herrera to leave. They have enough work to do this summer without having to find a replacement for former Athletic Bilbao man, with a centre back, a right back and a right winger a priority. If they get round to it, improving on Matic might also be on the check list. As well as the Serbian has played of late, he remains a little immobile to play in such a rapid, counter-attacking team.
Allowing Herrera to depart, for Paris Saint-Germain or another team, would leave a huge hole in the centre of Man Utd’s midfield at a time when they must concentrate on other areas of their side. What’s more, Herrera is one of the most popular players both in the dressing room and among the United support. Not since Patrice Evra was at the club has one player been so crucial to the spirit around Man Utd.
On the basis of what we have seen so far, the Solskjaer era will be defined by what happens in the final third, but without players like Herrera the supply line to the final third, to the goal grabbers and the headline getters, will be disrupted. For years, the Spaniard’s brilliance went unnoticed by many. In a sense, it still isn’t fully appreciated and only his departure would underline this. Man Utd must make sure it doesn’t come to this, though.
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