Another central midfield signing came in the form of Daley Blind, who became Manchester Uniteds penultimate purchase on transfer deadline day. Though a deal had been agreed with his club Ajax on the last weekend of August, the move wasnt finalised until late on September 1, when the £13 million switch was made official. Blind is an excellent signing for United in that he can play in a number of positions, including defensive midfield, left-back and centre-half. At Ajax, he was mostly deployed as a holding central midfielder and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2013-14, joining the likes of Luis Suarez and Jan Vertonghen to have won the illustrious prize in the past. He also makes for a good signing as he has played under manager Louis van Gaal before for the Netherlands at this summers World Cup, where he provided an impressive three assists and scored one goal. Blind is familiar with van Gaals tactics and formations and should ergo make for a seamless transition at Old Trafford.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
