Schneiderlin can be Manchester United's Deschamps or Makelele
Frenchmen have been at the heart of so many title-winning sides - Louis van Gaal hopes to continue that tradition with Morgan Schneiderlin
When Louis van Gaal identified Morgan Schneiderlin as the midfield anchor capable of turning Manchester United into genuine title contenders - he followed a well-trodden path.
From Didier Deshamps to Paul Pogba, Gallic influence in the middle of the pitch has been a decisive factor for so many trophy-winning teams.
French international Schneiderlin is far from reaching the levels of some of his more illustrious countrymen - but a move to Old Trafford will provide him with the platform to continue what is a rich tradition.
In the Premier League alone Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit were at the heart of Arsene Wenger’s first title-winning team at Arsenal.
United are hoping to complete a deal for Schneiderlin
And Claude Makelele was already a veteran of La Liga and Champions League-winning sides with Real Madrid before his back-to-back titles for Chelsea during Jose Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge.
So effective was he, that the position of holding midfielder became known as the ‘Makelele role’.
It wasn’t revolutionary. Deschamps had performed a similar duty before him, winning five titles for Marseille and Juventus, as well as two Champions Leagues.
The man famously dubbed a ‘water-carrier’ by Eric Cantona also won the World Cup and European Championship for his country.
The list goes on.
Deschamps was dismissed as a 'water-carrier' by Cantona
Marcel Desailly for those great Marseille and AC Milan sides - while Pogba is the latest of France’s stellar midfielders.
That’s not to ignore the more attacking qualities of Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane - but in Schneiderlin, Van Gaal is pursuing a solution to a problem area that he believes could ultimately undermine his hopes of success at United.
The Dutchman was so concerned about the lack of quality at the base of his midfield last season that he was prepared to sacrifice his most potent forward in Wayne Rooney to fill the void when Michael Carrick was injured.
He made a dominant midfielder a priority this summer - setting his sights on a player capable of winning and recycling the ball. A younger and more aggressive version of Carrick.
Makelele had a role named after him
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His admiration for Kevin Strootman is no secret - but the Dutchman’s knee injuries over the past 18 months meant he was simply too much of a risk.
Schneiderlin - proven in the Premier League - is less of a gamble.
Van Gaal has described Carrick as a 'trainer coach' of a playerVan Gaal wants an alternative to Carrick, who endured an injury-disrupted campaign
He can handle rigours of the English game, having played through the divisions with Southampton.
And his outstanding performances when coming against Van Gaal’s United last season also did little to harm his chances of a move to Old Trafford.
A Frenchman in Cantona proved to be the final piece of the jigsaw for Sir Alex Ferguson’s first great side at United.
Schneiderlin’s qualities, however, bear closer resemblance to man Cantona once dismissed as the ‘water-carrier.’