Reports: Manchester clubs put on red alert as Iniesta contract talks stall

Who would say no to the prospect of Andres Iniesta? United and City fans will certainly be on the edge of their seats, should the Spanish midfielder continue to stall contract negotiations at current club Barcelona.

The Daily Express reports the two Manchester clubs teams are set to take advantage of Iniesta’s current position. The Spain international is yet to agree an extension to his current deal at the Nou Camp. Rumours of a departure are premature at this stage, with the player having spent his entire adult life with the Catalan club, but his unwillingness to thrash out a new deal is telling.

Iniesta has played all eight of Barcelona’s La Liga games so far this season, however only 25% of these appearances have seen him feature for a full 90 minutes. It’s not an indication of his importance to the team though. Iniesta is simply indispensable to Barcelona, and the chances of him being allowed to leave the club are next to none.

Hypothetically though, who would be the most accommodating? Both Manchester clubs would clearly benefit from the arrival of little maestro, but who would profit the most?

It’s a well-known fact that Manchester United have been targeting a player similar to the style of Andres Iniesta for a very long time now and at the age of 29, the Spaniard still has a number of years left in the game. Especially if he follows the example of current team-mate Xavi. Iniesta’s quality of technique and speed of thought means he doesn’t overly rely on physical fitness, so age should not be a considerable dampener on his performances.

Manchester United’s form so far this season has had fans crying out for a player of Iniesta’s quality and should the situation be similar in January, the clamour will on grow.

When compared to the current midfield players at the Old Trafford outfit it’s clear to see Iniesta would offer a substantial improvement – a brief glance at each players performance score is an indicator of this. Not that anyone actually needs convincing.

Michael Carrick is the man currently occupying the creative role for United. With a passing accuracy of 86%, the Englishman has created nine chances for his club this term. Iniesta on the other hand boasts an accuracy of 94% and, without the need for statistics, it’s a well-known fact that he is a more advanced player of the two.

On the contrary, Manchester City are in less need of Iniesta’s midfield talent. The club spent big during the summer months, improving a squad already full to the brim with world-class talent.

Although the Spaniard is currently outperforming the likes of David Silva and Samir Nasri, City’s midfielders have couple of years on Iniesta. Manuel Pellegrini would surely opt for the aforementioned players with the aim of benefiting from their full development.

David Silva is already one of the best playmakers in the world and with 11 chances created and 2 assists already this season. With a passing accuracy of 91%, perhaps City fans would prefer to see him at the forefront of Manchester City’s midfield engine.

David Silva assists and key passes

However, Andres Iniesta would bring a wealth of Champions League experience to England, having won the competition three times during his career. This move could help City to break their current inability to perform in Europe. Obviously the clubs target has always been continental glory, perhaps Andres Iniesta is the missing piece in the puzzle? Iniesta is one for the big occasion. A man of the match performance in the 2009 Champions League final and the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final tell you all you need to know.

As previously mentioned, it seems very unlikely that Andres Iniesta would move to England, however stranger things have happened. The football world watched in shock on deadline day, as Mesut Ozil made the switch from Madrid to north London. Is it really so absurd to suggest Iniesta could follow a similar path? We have all seen the impact Ozil is having at Arsenal, this just makes the albeit slim prospect of Iniesta moving to Manchester even more intriguing.