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Is Jorginho the right player to replace Carrick at Man Utd?

Is Jorginho the right player to replace Carrick at Man Utd?

  • Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
Since Michael Carrick announced his intention to retire at the end of the season, Manchester United have predictably been linked with a plethora of midfielders with whom they might look to replace him. Some of the names rumoured to be attracting interest from the Red Devils fit the bill, while others seem to have been plucked from thin air with no regard for the former Tottenham Hotspur man’s calmness in ball possession.
 
Indeed, one player who does actually possess similar traits to Carrick is Napoli regista Jorginho. The Italian international has emerged as one of the best ball-playing midfielders in the world over the past couple of years, plying his trade alongside the gritty Allan and more attack-minded Marek Hamšík. Jorginho has always been a hugely talented footballer with the ball at his feet, but perhaps lacked the tactical intelligence required to play at the very top level. Under Maurizio Sarri, that has all changed.
 
Since 2015, the Santa Catarina native has thrived in a number of positions within the framework of Sarri’s 4-3-3 system. With José Mourinho looking to adopt a similar tactical set-up in order to accommodate Paul Pogba, one can envisage Jorginho thriving at the base of the midfield trio, with Nemanja Matić and the Frenchman deployed either side of him. He has improved the defensive side of his game no end under Sarri, so there is no question he has what it takes to succeed at Old Trafford and prove to be the ideal replacement for Carrick.