In January 2006, Sir Alex Ferguson made two signings for Manchester United that would epitomise their success in the proceeding seven years as defenders Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Eva arrived at Old Trafford, with the Frenchman costing just £5.5m from AS Monaco.
Vidic became one of the finest centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen, yet Evra goes under the radar somewhat, however, he was an integral member of the squad which would dominate England until 2013.
The left-back went on to make nearly 400 appearances for the Old Trafford side across his eight and a half seasons in Manchester, chipping in with ten goals along the way and he also added five league titles and a Champions League crown to his collection in what was a trophy-laden spell at the club.
The now-retired ace was an unparalleled success under Ferguson and for just £5.5m, surely one of United’s greatest transfers in the previous 20 years.
Could Erik ten Hag be about to replicate the club's Evra masterclass? With the Dutchman looking to sign defender Axel Disasi from Monaco during the summer transfer window, perhaps a repeat success could be on the cards.
Could Manchester United sign Axel Disasi?
The interest in the defender first surfaced back in April as Ten Hag aimed to significantly bolster his defensive options during the summer transfer window, however with just a few weeks to go until the season begins, there haven’t been any defensive arrivals.
Transfer insider Dean Jones discussed the potential move for Disasi in an interview with GIVEMESPORT and claimed that he could become Evra 2.0.
He said: He’s a different sort of player, but Axel Disasi could be viewed as Patrice Evra mark two if he was to come from the same Monaco pathway.
"His ceiling is high, he has as a similar age to Evra when he first arrived at the club and I'm told the initial conversations over the past couple of months have been pretty positive around this one.”
Fabrizio Romano claimed that United have been in talks with the Frenchman regarding a move, however they may need to act swiftly as Newcastle United are also keen.
There is no doubt he could fit Ten Hag’s tactical system of playing out from the back, as the defender ranks in the top 4% across Europe’s big five leagues for both progressive carries per 90 (1.7) and progressive passes per 90 (5.8), clearly suggesting he is among the finest on the continent at starting attacks from the defence and will allow him to fit in well at the club.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded the 25-year-old as a “dominant” and “complete” centre-back back in 2020 and the 6 foot 3 titan could be a calming presence at the heart of the United defence next season.
With Harry Maguire appearing to be close to securing an exit from United, Ten Hag will require another defender or two to arrive during the transfer window and Disasi could be an excellent signing, especially with his forward-thinking capabilities.
If he did join, the €50m (£43m) ace could certainly have a similar sort of impact that Evra did during his eight years in Manchester.
