Ryan Giggs has compared Swansea City defender Joe Rodon to Gary Pallister amid reports linking him with a move to Manchester United.
According to the Manchester Evening News, both United and Man City have registered an interest in signing the Welsh international, who is open to a move away from south Wales this summer.
It is claimed that Swansea are preparing for offers from the two Manchester clubs for the talented centre-half, just a year after United signed one of their other promising talents in Daniel James.
Wales manager Giggs has seen Rodon’s progression first-hand after giving him his debut against Azerbaijan in September and has high hopes for the 22-year-old, comparing him to a United great.
“Joe has grown over the last year or so. He is quick. Sometimes you don’t appreciate it,” he told the Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell.
“It was the day after a game and we gave some players running drills, box to box. He was running with someone fast and went past them, effortlessly. I thought, ‘Oh, I hadn’t seen that .’
“It made me think a little bit of Gary Pallister. You don’t think of him as quick but when he got going at his peak, he was.
“When Pally got into the channels, no one out-ran him. So that suits the way I want to play.
“I want my full-backs high, so if central defenders do have to get out wide and cover those positions, they are comfortable.
“In possession, Joe shows composure and he’s a good character. I saw him giving the ball away and being unhappy with himself. I liked that. Bit intense but set standards and if he didn’t keep to them, he wasn’t happy with himself.”
As noted by WalesOnline, Rodon is rated at around £20m, a fee which seems slightly excessive player with little experience at the highest level.
Rodon is certainly a player to keep an eye on and is perhaps a more attainable option than more established defensive options such as Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.
However, United already have talented centre-backs coming through in Axel Tuanzebe and Teden Mengi.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be focusing his attention on strengthening other areas in the upcoming summer transfer window.
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