Much like with Arturo Vidal over the summer, the possibility of Manchester United signing Kevin Strootman seems to have been discussed endlessly. The similarities between the two midfielders – both moving to Serie A and enhancing their reputations exponentially, each recovering from knee surgery – are obvious, and either player would undoubtedly dramatically improve the midfield options available to Louis van Gaal. A January move for the Roma star may actually be a more beneficial approach for the Old Trafford club however, for a variety of reasons.
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The ties between player and coach are clear. Strootman was named as one of the “untouchable” players in the Netherlands squad before the World Cup, and Van Gaal stated just how sorely missed he would be after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament back in March. "Strootman is a player who brings a balance to the entire team," the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said. "I will have players like Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder of course, but no one will be able to replace Kevin.”
Like with Juve’s multi-talented Chilean, what Strootman would offer United is a vast array of skills, perhaps only trailing Vidal and Yaya Toure as the world’s premier box-to-box midfielder. Having emerged from the Sparta Rotterdam youth sector, he spent six months with Utrecht before making the leap to PSV Eindhoven in June 2011. That progression was part of a well-thought out career plan, the player making clear why he had moved to the Philips Stadion. "I could have continued my development at Utrecht,” Strootman told reporters at the time. “But PSV are one of the top clubs in Holland, where I can quickly become a better player. This was the most logical step.”
The same could be said of his €17 million switch to the Italian capital two years later, having spent time learning the intricacies of his position from PSV team-mate Mark van Bommel. Like the former Milan enforcer, Strootman has proven adept at winning back the ball, averaging 3.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game in Serie A last term. At 6ft 1in (1.87m) tall, broad-shouldered and strong in the tackle – winning 64% of the challenges he made in 2013-14 – the 24 year old has all the tools to excel in the defensive phase of the game.
Yet what marks him out as a truly special player is his intelligence once possession has been regained, transforming from a rugged stopper into an elegant distributor and incisive contributor to his side’s attacking play. Strootman plays with calmness on the ball, his measured manner transmitting an air of control that is so often a hallmark of a truly excellent player. His team-mates nicknamed him Er Lavatrice – “the washing machine” – because, as coach Rudi Garcia so eloquently put it, “he takes dirty balls and cleans them up!”
“I like to play from one side to the other…I do both phases of play, attack and defence, without a particular preference.” – Kevin Strootman
In terms of sheer statistics, his passing stands out as impressive, averaging 58.6 attempts per game and connecting at a rate of 88.4%. He contributed six assists in 24 league games for the Giallorossi last season, trailing only Francesco Totti and Gervinho (each with ten) despite missing the final three months with that ACL tear. He also added five league goals but, while they mostly came from close range and included two well-taken penalties, in the Coppa Italia he showcased yet another facet to his game.
With his side already leading Napoli 1-0 in the first leg of their semi final match up, he picked up the ball just inside the opposition half. Quickly advancing, his pace took him away from his marker and, when Federico Fernández failed to close him down, Strootman unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that flew into the top corner and left Pepe Reina ruefully shaking his head. The former Liverpool ‘keeper had no chance of stopping such a perfectly struck effort, and it is the type of long distance goal which the midfielder became known for with PSV.
Of course Roma have denied that the player could be sold, with James Pallotta lambasting reports that the club could be tempted to part with the Dutchman. "There has been non-stop reporting in UK newspapers about Kevin Strootman and Manchester United," the Giallorossi President said back in September. "Kevin Strootman is not for sale and has never ever been discussed in that vein at Roma. They are wasting paper, we consider Kevin an integral highly valued partner in our long term plans." However, since that statement, Rudi Garcia’s side has continued to perform superbly in his absence, the growing influence of Radja Nainggolan even relegating Daniele De Rossi to the bench.
With a deep squad to choose from as Miralem Pjanic and Alessandro Florenzi constantly improve, their elimination from the Champions League could also provide United with more leverage. One issue could be Seydou Keita’s absence as he represents Mali at the African Cup of Nations, but the tournament is over by February 8 meaning any dilemma would be quickly resolved as there are just six club fixtures to be played in that same time frame.
A large injection of cash would allow Roma to strengthen other areas – the side could desperately use a consistent goal scorer and a goalkeeping upgrade – without significantly weakening themselves too much. For the right fee, Kevin Strootman moving to Old Trafford is a transfer that makes a lot of sense for all involved.
