Why I'm Signing....Forlans Own Words
Uruguayan striker Forlan flew into England on Friday to hold discussions with both clubs, and spoke of his decision this afternoon.
"I had offers from Middlesbrough and Manchester United, but United offered me more so I'm going there," the 22-year old Independiente forward told Sky Sports.
"I've had an offer from Manchester United so I am going to fly there and sign the contract, which will be for the rest of this season and then four more years.
"I always said that I'd like to play in England, and when I was studying English, Manchester interested me. I'm looking forward to signing the contract, meeting the coach and all the other players. I'll be calmer then and I'll talk more!" he said.
Below checkout some of Diego Forlans goals from the official Independiente website just click on the links for a direct download of twelve of Diegos goals in mpeg format.
View Of Experienced Scout Roy Leiber
New soon-to-be Manchester United signing Diego Forlan is a real mystery. An un-capped Uruguayan, playing for an unknown Argentinean club and only being courted by the likes of Atletico Madrid, Espanyol and Middlesbrough? Has Fergie gone bonkers, one would ask?
Well not really, no. The Forlan signing is without doubt a risky one. Forlan has never played in Europe, never played for the senior Uruguayan national side and the only time he's ever played outside of South-America was in the World Youth Championship in 1999 with the Uruguayan U-20 national side with whom he achieved a fantastic 4th place, scoring once and assisting twice in 4 starts.
However, not all is black and white about Forlan. Atletico Madrid, Espanyol and Boro are the only clubs to have shown an interest in him at the very moment, but what people don't know or don't seem to remember is that he was actually very close to signing for Lazio only a few months ago. The deal fell through, with Forlan claiming he'd rather play in England.
Claims that Uruguayan coach Victor Pua isn't selecting him for the national side because he's a bad finisher are not 100% true either. In fact, Pua has decided to not call up non-European based players unless he has to. And seeing as he has 4-5 good Uruguayan strikers who are playing in Europe at his disposal, including the undoubtedly world-class Alvaro Reboba of Inter Milan, he's not really in need of Forlan at the very moment.
And indeed, the Forlan signing does have a lot of positive sides to it.
First of all, Forlan, as a player, has the potential of becoming an excellent one. To begin with, he's still very young (22, despite the press' efforts to have you believing he's 24!) and has lots of time to develop as a player. Physically, he's suited to the Premiership perfectly. Though he is by no means huge (1.77/77), he is very strong for his size and has an excellent presence in the air. He is a very powerful runner and has a good bit of pace about him.
His main quality though is without doubt his eye for goal and ability in the box. His agility and reading of the game makes him a nuisance for opposition defenders who find it hard to keep up with him, as he is constantly in movement.
Another very impressive feature of Forlan's game is the fact that he has two equally fantastic feet. Though he is naturally left-footed, don't be surprised to see him scoring some stunning goals with his right peg as well.
Forlan is without doubt a penalty-box striker but that doesn't mean his ability outside the box is not up to par. His over-all game is very good, as is his technique, though he is by no means an outstanding dribbler. Despite what has been said about Forlan in the press with regards to him being a bad finisher, I find him to be quite a clinical one to be honest.
Though he does prefer power to accuracy, that doesn't mean you won't find him scoring with precise drives or delicate lobs over the keeper and generally, I think his repertoire of finishes is quite impressive really. Not only that but Forlan can score from a wide variety of ranges, from simple tap-ins to 25-yard crackers.
If I have to compare him to a well-known player then I'd compare him to a young version of Argentinean Claudio Caniggia (hopefully without the drugs). Fast, strong and clinical. Jurgen Klinsmann is another player who he reminds me of in his playing style.
Another positive side to this transfer is that finally, our resident Argentine, Juan Sebastian Veron, will have a Spanish-speaking companion in Forlan. This will hopefully make Forlan's settling in period a lot easier, as well as help Veron, who seems to have not yet fully adapted to life in England.
Diego Forlan is a good player. How good? Time will tell. In a few years time we'll know whether the Uruguayan is a gamble that went wrong or yet another Fergie masterstroke.