Over the last couple of weeks, Manchester United have been linked to Kevin Strootman of PSV with the transfer looking imminent. But now it appears that their scouts at the U-21 Euro were looking at someone else: Marco van Ginkel of Vitesse, who has been mostly linked to Chelsea.

Unlike Strootman, who has refused to talk about his future while in the tournament (now that the Netherlands have been knocked out, losing 1-0 to Italy, that might change), Van Ginkel had no problem talking about the Chelsea interest in him and how it flatters him. Now, it seems he wouldn’t mind finding himself playing in red at the Old Trafford, maybe even preferring to do it.

Why? Because he sees himself playing next to Robin van Persie, probably the top striker in the Premier League and despite his disappointing production in big tournaments, the number one player in the Netherlands at the moment. Van Ginkel might not have that much of a say in the matter, if the rumors of Chelsea having some sort of deal regarding their young players in place.

But for now, according to the Sunday Express and the Star Sunday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Van Ginkel leave the Dutch Eredivisie for United. The Red Devils will probably need to offer around £10 million to secure their second signing of the summer, following Guillermo Varlea coming from Uruguay.

And what about Strootman? Van Ginkel actually outplayed his midfield partner during the tournament, although Strootman seems to be the more dominant and confident player of the two, at least when they play on the same side. There’s also a slight different in their tendencies on the pitch, with Strootman looking more like a natural leader in the middle of the park, while Van Ginkel tends to play a bit wider, with a slightly more attacking orientation.

Strootman will also be the more expensive player of the two (around £12-13 million at least) and who knows, maybe United are looking for a complete overhaul of their midfield, and will try to sign both players.

Image: Source