On August 20, Manchester United announced their fourth signing of the summer, with Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo joining the Red Devils on a deal estimated to be worth around $28.6 million.
The deal is subject to a medical and also the agreement of personal terms.
Going the other way is Portuguese winger Nani, who will be joining his former club on a season-long loan.
The deal allows United to clear its roster of one of the players they’ve been trying to move, and also brings in a much needed defender who can play in any one of the three spots across the back and also down the left side.
Rojo joins United on the back of a second placed finish with Sporting in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, and a strong World Cup campaign where he helped his home nation Argentina to the final, only to succumb to the quality of Germany.
Along the way Rojo scored six goals in 29 games for his club, and helped his keeper, Rui Patrício, to the most clean sheets in the league.
Rojo played all but one game in Brazil with Argentina, keeping three clean sheets in the six games he played. He also scored the winning goal in the 3-2 victory over Nigeria.
Rojo joins United after their 2-1 home defeat to Swansea in the opening game of the Premier League, which exposed a few holes in the squad that can only be fixed with the signing of a number of high class players.
The acquisition of Rojo provides United with a top class defender, who, at 24 years of age, gives United a future captain of the side and provides another aerial threat on set pieces.
The upside of Rojo’s signing is that United get a player who has proven his talent at the biggest stage of them all, the World Cup, and also gives United an experienced defender, amassing 121 senior games for club and 28 games for country.
Rojo will likely play in a back three that includes any one of, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Tyler Blackett.
United will be hoping that Rojo can make an immediate impact for Louis van Gaal’s squad, who are desperate for an assertive defender. If he does what Eric Dier did for Tottenham – left Sporting Lisbon for the Premier League this transfer window, and scored a stoppage time winner on debut – then United will regain the confidence lost after the first game of this season.
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