Five ways Marcel Sabitzer can help Manchester United

The midfielder will aid the club in achieving its ambitions at the business end of the season.

Marcel Sabitzer joined Manchester United on the deadline day of the January 2023 winter transfer window. The Premier League outfit were searching for a new midfielder after Christian Eriksen suffered an ankle injury in the FA Cup game against Reading recently. From the early reports, the Danish midfielder will be on the sidelines until late April or early May, effectively ending his involvement this season.

In order to quickly find a solution to this predicament, the Red Devils went into the market and secured Marcel Sabitzer on loan from FC Bayern Munich. A versatile midfielder like him is a decent option in terms of a temporary fix until the end of the season.

Here is a look at how the former RB Leipzig player can help Manchester United in the remaining part of the 2022-23 campaign:

Add depth to the squad

One of the biggest areas of concern for Manchester United was a lack of depth in midfield. Donny van de Beek suffered a horrible ACL injury earlier in the season that ended his season. Now, with Chrisitan Eriksen also set to spend the rest of the season on the sidelines, Marcel Sabitzer will add much-needed depth.

His arrival will certainly lessen the load on players like Casemiro and Fred who are the holding midfielders in the squad. Scott McTominay is also set to spend a few weeks in the hospital bed after suffering a muscle injury recently.

A versatile option

Marcel Sabitzer is a versatile midfielder and fits perfectly in Erik ten Hag’s style of gameplay at Manchester United. He can play as an anchor and provide cover to the defence alongside another defensive midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 setup. Furthermore, the Austrian international can play as a deep-lying playmaker, a profile MUFC lacked in the squad.

Moreover, he has a 88% pass success rate for FC Bayern Munich in 15 Bundesliga appearances. This suggests he can play the playmaker, a role Eriksen performed extremely well. It will be interesting to see Sabitzer forge a partnership with the likes of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in MUFC’s midfield.

Bring experience

Marcel Sabitzer has played extensively at the top level. After all, only elite footballers get a chance to play for Manchester United. The 28-year-old has over 490 appearances at the senior club level and 68 appearances for the Austrian national team.

He was a crucial part of RB Leipzig’s squad before securing a move to German giants FC Bayern Munich in 2021. The midfielder’s technical and tactical aptitude will certainly help a MUFC side that desperately needs more scoring outlets from the midfield. Having said that, it will be a challenge to settle immediately in a physical league like the Premier League.  

Replacement of Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen suffering a long-term ankle injury was a big blow for Manchester United. The Danish international has been a central part of Erik ten Hag’s plans since signing for the club as a free agent in 2022. Players like Fred, Scott McTominay and Zidane Iqbal were frankly not good enough to replace the 30-year-old.

However, Marcel Sabitzer present a bigger set of skills. His arrival will add confidence to the squad that lost a senior member in Eriksen to injury. Erik ten Hag’s preference for the midfielder was crucial in pushing MUFC to sign him on loan.

Push for trophies

As it stands, Manchester United is the only English club fighting on four major fronts. The club still has a chance of winning the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Europa League and the Premier League. Due to MUFC’s involvement in these four major competitions, their upcoming schedule is intense.

There are two games virtually every week until the end of February for MUFC. Marcel Sabitzer has ample experience playing European football. He will certainly help the club push for a trophy in domestic competitions as well. While there is no option to buy in the loan deal, if the move bears good results, then MUFC could make a move to sign Sabitzer permanently in the summer window.