Marcel Sabitzer had nothing to lose when touching down in the Premier League mid-season yet Manchester United have everything to gain by making his loan transfer permanent when the market reopens.
After losing Christian Eriksen to injury, United had to think (and act) quickly in January and Sabitzer was the man Erik ten Hag settled on to address temporary concerns within the engine room.
18 games later and Sabitzer has proven himself to be much more than the required stop-gap. Helping to hold down the fort when Casemiro was suspended, the Austrian has since been able to showcase his primary qualities in an advanced position.
Hard-working, clever, tidy in possession and hungry to press as you would expect from anyone schooled or nurtured by the Red Bull system, Sabitzer is every bit a Ten Hag player in style and substance - and he will not exactly break the bank in a pricey market. ALSO READ: United ratings vs West Ham United do not plan to pursue fellow mid-season loanee Wout Weghorst permanently, as already reported by Manchester Evening News, so the silence with regards to Sabitzer, perhaps, speaks volumes.