Take my word, I haven’t just looked at a couple of blurry Youtube clips before coming to a conclusion about the Standard Liege player who Manchester United have been strongly linked with recently.

Sir Alex Ferguson sent a ‘get well soon’ letter wishing him a speedy recovery which has caught the attention of the media, with fans on various internet forums discussing their thoughts on a possible signing.

Stephen Defour has been strongly linked to many Premier League clubs, with the latest team linked with him being Manchester United. The central midfielder, who has been likened to Cesc Fabregas, has turned heads with his remarkable passing quality.

He is the captain of Belgian champions Standard Liege, which is very surprising considering his age. In a match against Anderlecht this year, they drew 1-1, but Defour’s talent was on show and I was immediately impressed by the young playmaker.  Last season, Uefa Cup matches against Seville and two against Everton, you could draw up some conclusions that he was a special player. He has good vision, can pass and is very intelligent with the ball at his feet.

I’ve seen him in action for his national side too, against Bosnia Herzogovina in a World Cup qualifier not long ago, but in that game was subdued and frustrated before being subbed on the hour. They lost 4-2 in the end.

One problem is that he doesn’t score enough goals. His statistics in front of goal isn’t too convincing, but for a central midfielder that is not the most important requirement for a footballer, but is definitely a good one to have.

But, you could see why they rate him highly in Belgium. He works as hard for the cause as Dwight Yorke’s toothbrush. He has helped the club win titles, but at times has become as unpopular as Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton De Buke (well, maybe not as much…), but, thankfully not saying anything offensive. He has expressed many times of his desire to leave the club, something Manchester United fans are all too familiar with, the prime example being Cristiano Ronaldo.

If he does decide leave his club, then you could look at it two ways. He would be a great addition in the sense of the amount of talent he possesses, but the central midfield department is already too competitive and first team football may be hard to come by. I’ve disclosed my ratings below, if you don’t agree or believe he would be a good addition to the side, just give us a shout in the comments section.

Current Ability

Shooting	6 out of 10
Passing:	9 out of 10
Tackling:	7 out of 10
Heading:	6 out of 10
Creativity:	9 out of 10
Marking:	6 out of 10

Potential Value: £10million