Might Kevin Strootman be patrolling the Manchester United midfield next season?
The midfielder’s agent, Chiel Dekker, admitted knowledge of the Dutch manager’s admiration on Wednesday, saying “[Strootman] is of interest to Louis van Gaal but not related to Manchester United at this point.”
Dekker continued his resistance throughout the course of his interview, noting on six different occasions that no deal has been struck due to Strootman’s on-going commitment to Roma.
From The Guardian:He won’t be back playing until autumn – that’s the time schedule at the moment. He is of interest to Louis van Gaal but not related to Manchester United at this point... He’s in Rome and he had a terrific season. There has been nothing between the clubs or between Louis and Kevin – they know each other and like each other but at this stage it’s not related to Man United.
Roma do not want to sell. The first thing is it’s all between the clubs. And it’s also a very difficult decision because he has to choose between a fantastic club in Rome, a club that bought him and supported him while he was injured and [then] you have his personal coach of the national team at United.
The clubs have to decide. He’s very happy at Rome, he’s happy to stay because they play Champions League next season and happy to recover [from] his injury, so at this stage we are not part of any discussion.
Great devotion by Dekker to Roma, there. But isn’t it all for show? Very well could be. After all, few people know how to plant seeds better than slick-talking agents, especially ones of injured players whose skills nevertheless remain in high demand.
Which is exactly the case with Strootman, who is recovering from a serious knee injury that’s keeping him out of the World Cup and away from the pitch until next fall. All indications are that Strootman will return to Rome for the beginning of the Serie A season before possibly moving to United in the January transfer window.
A lot can happen between now and then. United are currently in the market for a number of center midfielders including Ander Herrer, Cesc Fabregas, Jordy Claise and Bastian Schweinsteiger, among others. The addition of any of these men could affect the likelihood of a move for Strootman, although Van Gaal could make additional room by selling off the likes of Tom Cleverley and/or Marouane Fellaini, who endured difficult seasons in 2013/14.
