Manchester United Signing Bayern Munich And Austria International Marcel Sabitzer Would Be Smart Business

MUNICH, GERMANY - JANUARY 28: Marcel Sabitzer of Bayern Muenchen looks on during the Bundesliga ... [+] match between FC Bayern München and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena on January 28, 2023 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

As the news broke this morning that Christian Eriksen will be sidelined until late April with his ankle injury he picked up in the FA Cup, Manchester United were put on red alert to find a suitable replacement.

Some fans suggested that Erik Ten Hag needlessly put out his strongest side against Reading, which was always going to bring the possibility of injuries. It took an Andy Carroll scissor tackle, which he did not even pick up a yellow card for, to take Eriksen out and cause the issue at large.

It has been news that Manchester United fans were fearing the worst for. Eriksen has been an integral part of the Red Devils’ revival this season under Ten Hag, providing seven Premier PINC League assists and only missing from two games.

The Denmark international has occupied the slot next to Casemiro in a double pivot that has seen a transformation occur in Manchester United’s midfield. His intelligence on and off the ball is second to none and is able to pick the right pass at the right time.

He will be a sore miss for Ten Hag heading into the crunch part of the season with so much to play for.

Manchester United's Christian Eriksen (right) looks in pain after a challenge by Reading's Andy ... [+] Carroll during the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Saturday January 28, 2023. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)

And so Manchester United, late last night, opened up their net across Europe to see who would be available on a loan deal. They landed at Bayern Munich, where they initially enquired for Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The Bavarian management quickly rejected that idea, but brought forward Marcel Sabitzer, who is underused by Julian Nagelsmann.

Occupying a very similar position to Eriksen, the Austria international is seemingly the perfect replacement in Manchester United’s midfield. At 28, Sabitzer has a plethora of experience in top European competitions, as well as spent most of his career in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig.

The Austrian has the functionality to pivot between positions, and has routinely been played across all three (defensive, central and attacking) which has been incredibly comfortable for him to navigate through.

If there was one criticism in Eriksen’s game from fans, it is likely to be that he can only last around 60-65 minutes if the speed of the game is intense. It was clear, even before the injury took place, that Manchester United would need to reinforce to provide options to rotate for next season.

DOHA, QATAR - JANUARY 11: Marcel Sabitzer of Bayern Muenchen schaut during the fifth day of the FC ... [+] Bayern München Doha Training Camp on January 11, 2023 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mohammad Karamali/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Sabitzer, on the other hand, is a modern day Park ji-Sung, in the sense of having a reliable, never-ending engine that can get him through game after game without a fuss.

The Red Devils have a mass amount of games coming thick and fast, which means they will be playing minimum twice a week until early March. They are still competing in the two domestic competitions, as well as having to play a two-legged knockout qualifying round against FC Barcelona in the Europa League.

It is absolutely essential that Manchester United bring in a midfield reinforcement, especially with Eriksen sidelined for a minimum of 12 weeks. Ten Hag’s team are pushing for a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer, which makes sense rather than over-paying now and Sabitzer finds it difficult to adapt to England and the Premier League.

Time will tell whether Manchester United beat the 11:00pm (GMT) transfer deadline tonight and secure the services of Sabitzer, but if they do, they have a player that has the ability to take their midfield to the next level.