There have been a host of big names linked with a move to Old Trafford over the last five or six years. Some have ended up joining, like Carlos Tevez. But there have also been the deals that never quite happened, like Benzema, Ribery and Ozil. These players are all superstars, and would have undoubtedly done well at United. But there has been one name that has cropped up year after year when it comes to United rumours, Daniele De Rossi.
Some of you may not have even known who he was before Euro 2012, but the majority of United fans have known who he is for a very long time now. The first time I remember him impressing me was over five years ago now, during a Champions League knockout game at Old Trafford. You may remember it solely for the scoreline, but I remember it for a different reason also. AS Roma were down 6-0, being dominated by a Manchester United side a little over a year away from becoming European Champions again. All hope was lost for them, they were crashing out of the Champions League in embarrassing circumstances. But one player was still managing to have a blinder. That player was Daniele De Rossi. Scholes and Carrick clearly didn't know what to do when he came charging at them with the ball. He got his reward for his performance in the form of a sensational volley from a Roma corner. Old Trafford fell silent, acknowledging a fine goal from the Italian. Roma ended up getting battered 7-1 that night, I'm sure you remember, but De Rossi's performance still stood out to the most loyal United fan. I myself have been a fan ever since, enjoying every minute of football I have seen him play.
In the build up to Euro 2012, I was looking forward to seeing him in action against some of the best players in Europe. I have not been disappointed. De Rossi has not only shown his class, but also his versatility in having to play out of position at centre back against the reigning European and World champions Spain. De Rossi, alongside Andrea Pirlo, have shown how crucial they are to the Italian national team's success. If it were not for them, I don't think Italy would have even beat England, let alone Germany.
So, a player of this quality must have plenty of medals to show for his career so far, right? Wrong. In fact, Daniele De Rossi only has two Coppa Italia medals to show for for his career at AS Roma. Even more painfully, he has helped AS Roma finish runners-up in the Serie A a whopping five times. This simply is not good enough for a player of De Rossi's class. At 28, now is the best time for him to move to a club where he can win trophies on a regular basis.
Interest from United has been well documented for several years now, with Manchester City now reportedly interested too. There have been so many players likened to Roy Keane over the years since the man himself retired, but none of the players have lived up to the comparison. With De Rossi, I believe we could have a player as close to Roy Keane as you can get in the modern game today. A born leader, brutal tackler and a great eye for a pass, De Rossi is the player we have been looking for since Keano left for Celtic
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