A Season Late, United May Finally Get The Midfielder They Need

When Manchester United sold Dimitar Berbatov to Fulham in 2012, fans wondered why midfielder Moussa Dembele wasn’t included in the deal.

A player who was exactly what United needed, journalists also pondered why Sir Alex hesitated in making a move for the Belgian, especially as he had had front row seats to one of Dembele’s energetic performances.

The Belgian had dominated United’s midfield only days before joining Tottenham, and would do so again (at least for 45 minutes) when he rolled up to Old Trafford with new side Spurs, as the north London side recorded a memorable win against the would be champions.

A somewhat unsung hero as Gareth Bale stole the headlines for Spurs, Dembele’s robust displays were key to a season that saw Tottenham achieve their highest points total in a Premier League season.

But things change, with success (and the sale of prized asset Bale) came more money to spend on new faces and this summer Spurs added Etienne Capoue and Paulinho to their ranks as well as Sandro return from a knee injury.

Dembele has been forced to take a seat on the sidelines in a disjointed season; despite making 19 appearances, Dembele has struggled to hold down a regular place in Andre Villas-Boas’ side and with the World Cup coming up this summer, Dembele feels that he may need to move on to secure his place in Marc Wilmots’ side.

With Spurs struggling for goals, Dembele confirmed that AVB is putting an emphasis on defensive stability, something that is leaving him alienated:

“The coach has explained that he makes a tactical choice, he wants more defensive players in midfield.

“I can’t be satisfied with it, of course, I just want to play as many games.”

With Dembele unhappy with his current situation and United in the market for a player that fits this mould, why would Moyes not at least attempt to sign Dembele?

Having missed the boat last summer, Manchester United may get a second chance to snap up Dembele. Hopefully it’s a chance they take.