Luis Diaz is being linked with a move to Manchester United as Ralf Rangnick looks to strengthen his squad before the transfer window slams shut.
The Colombian attacker is reportedly a target for a number of top clubs this month, and United are said to be just one of the 25-year-old's many admirers.
United were rumoured to be one of the teams that sent scouts to watch Diaz play last weekend amid growing speculation linking the Porto winger with a move to Old Trafford.
After the departure of Anthony Martial on loan to Sevilla and with Jesse Lingard's future still in the air, United could do worse than to bring in Diaz to strengthen their quality in attack.
So, if Diaz was to make the move to United in January, what sort of impact could he have on Ralf Rangnick's side?
Could the Colombian winger help United win a trophy?
We simulated the rest of the season with Diaz in the United squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Luis Diaz for United in January 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Diaz to join United at the start of the January 2022 transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation.
This is how Diaz's in-game profile looks on FM22.
The Colombian winger's key attributes are his dribbling (19), flair (19), first touch (18), technique (18), acceleration (17), agility (17) and pace (16).
These attributes make Diaz one of the most exciting wingers in Europe and a nightmare to defend against, with the 25-year-old having shown his finishing ability for Porto scoring 16 goals in 28 games in all competitions so far this season.
Let's take a look at how Diaz performed throughout the second half of the 2021/22 season after signing for United in January 2022.
Luis Diaz made a total of 27 appearances for United after signing in January, scoring four goals and registering four assists. The Colombian winger ranked sixth in terms of goal contributions in the United squad, averaging a match rating of 7.05 in all competitions.
The forward also recorded the second-highest pass completion rate (86 per cent) of any United attacker, only behind Bruno Fernandes (89 per cent) and matching Jadon Sancho's pass completion rate. The Porto winger's statistics averaged over a full season would see him put up similar goals and assists to Sancho's nine goals and 10 assists, offering support in attack for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo.
At the end of the 2021/22 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Man United XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics.
This is what United's best XI looked like at the end of the 2021/22 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full United best XI (4-2-2-2): De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford, Ronaldo.
Diaz failed to feature in the United best XI after signing for them in the January transfer window, with Rashford partnering Ronaldo in attack, supported by Sancho and Fernandes, but he was a semi-regular sub.
So, how did United perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Diaz in the January transfer window?
United's results from the 2021/22 simulation:
United finished fourth in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League after narrowly finishing above Arsenal by a single point.
They remained quite a distance away from the top three clubs, highlighting the gap that needs to be bridged if United are to challenge for the Premier League title again.
So, how did they perform in the cup competitions?
United were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to fierce rivals Man City after losing 1-0 on aggregate over two legs.
United did end the season with silverware though after beating Chelsea 3-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley, lifting the historic trophy for the 13th time.
Overall, our Football Manager 2022 simulation suggests that if United were to sign Diaz in January, the Colombian attacker may be able to force his way into the starting 11 under Rangnick on occasion, but might only be able to provide eight goal contributions, which could hint that there are better options out there for them in the current transfer market.
United did win silverware with Diaz in the side, but the gap to the top three teams in the league suggest more additions are needed if the Reds are going to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League again.
Would you like to see Luis Diaz sign for Man United? Let us know in the comments below.
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