Manchester United have completed their midfield rebuild and now they need to sign a new left-back to compete with Luke Shaw
Barcelona's Alejandro Balde and Brighton's Ferdi Kadioglu
Barcelona's Alejandro Balde and Brighton's Ferdi Kadioglu(Image: Getty Images)
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Manchester United's transfer window has been dominated by their midfield overhaul. Casemiro's departure at the end of last season, along with Manuel Ugarte's underwhelming performances and recent injury, meant reinforcements were desperately needed in the centre. To their credit, United will end the summer with a stronger midfield than they had last season.
Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans joined on the same week in July, before United added Carlos Baleba on Tuesday to complete their rebuild. With less than a week remaining in this window, the Reds still have time to complete more important business.
A new left-back has been on the wishlist all window. Luke Shaw did remarkably well to feature in every Premier League game last season, but with more fixtures this year and Shaw heading towards the latter stages of his career, United need to look to the future.
Newcastle's Lewis Hall is a long-term target but following a mass exodus at St James' Park this year, he is unlikely to leave the north east before Tuesday. United are expected to reignite their interest in Hall next year.
United still need a left-back though, for this season and beyond. There are currently thought to be two main names on the Reds' radar - Barcelona star Alejandro Balde and Brighton's Ferdi Kadioglu. Balde is of interest to United and Barca want £30m to sell him. They are not interested in a loan deal.
Meanwhile, Kadioglu is reportedly liked by those at Old Trafford. With United weighing up their options, MEN Sport has compared Balde and Kadioglu to see who the Reds should look to sign.
Balde and Kadioglu's statistics compared
What is initially striking is the number of minutes Kadioglu played last season in comparison to Balde. The Turkish defender was on the pitch for 3,134 minutes in the Premier League compared to Balde's mere 1,878 in La Liga, according to Who Scored. Balde missed ten Barcelona matches last season due to injury, whereas Kadioglu did not miss any Brighton games.
Defensively, there is little to split the two players. Kadioglu excelled in terms of interceptions, averaging 0.7 per match compared to Balde's 0.2. Kadioglu also averaged an impressive 2.2 clearances per game to Balde's respectable 0.9.
The 22-year-old Barca man was rarely dribbled past though in comparison to Kadioglu (0.3 to 1). He also caught players offside more (0.7 to 0.1) per 90 minutes.
Offensively, Balde has the edge. He registered two assists in the league last season whereas Kadioglu did not manage any. He also leads the way on key passes (0.8 to 0.6) and dribbles past opponents (0.8 to 0.3). Kadioglu did average more shots per game though (0.8 to 0.4).
Balde's passing statistics are also better, averaging more passes (42.6 to 36.9) and having a higher pass accuracy (91.8 per cent to 85.6 per cent) than Kadioglu. However, the 22-year-old was playing in a side that dominated the ball.
That being said, Kadioglu still managed more crosses per game (0.6 to 0.2) and he attempted more long balls (1.2 to 0.5) which could indicate why his passing statistics are worse than Balde's. Long balls provide more opportunities to lose possession.
DataMB's information shows that Balde excels in certain aspects of the game, particularly carrying the ball and expected assists, however, Kadioglu appears to be more well-rounded.
Graph comparing Alejandro Balde at Barcelona and Ferdi Kadioglu at Brighton last season
Graph comparing Alejandro Balde at Barcelona and Ferdi Kadioglu at Brighton last season
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What the coaches say
Speaking about Balde's future this week, Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick said: "He’s part of the squad. Whether he plays or not, we’ll decide that tomorrow.
"I’ve spoken to him; it’s important that he’s committed to us. He’s very young and has a lot of potential. He’s improved, but he can improve further. He carries the Barca colours in his heart.
"His job is to improve. He has to be 100 per cent committed to professional football and give his all for Barca."
Meanwhile, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has spoken positively about Kadioglu on several occasions. Earlier this year, he was asked about the full-back's knack for making important clearances. "No, we’re not working on that," Hurzeler said, "and we don’t want to work on that because it means something bad has happened before it.
"He came back after a long injury, and that’s not easy. He seems to be very resilient. His performances have been strong, and we are very happy - it’s like having a new signing. We’re pleased that he keeps improving and performing at this level."
Verdict
Balde is a risk at this stage of the transfer window. Flick's comments suggest he is enjoying life at Barcelona but perhaps he feels he will gain more opportunities at a club like United. There is every chance that the 22-year-old could be persuaded to stay in Catalonia this summer and, if the Reds go all in for him, they could end up empty-handed.
As for Kadioglu, he is four years older than Balde and seems more complete. Statistically, Balde did lead in a number of important areas, but he was not head and shoulders above the Turkey international. You also have to remember the two clubs these defenders were playing for. Balde should be dominating the attacking stats when Barcelona dominate more games than Brighton.
For that reason, the safe bet would be to move for Kadioglu and sign a player who is more likely to join United, and is more well-rounded. But there is a good chance that Balde will become an excellent player in the future. His potential is clear for all to see, so you wouldn't fault United for moving for him instead.