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If David Moyes is struggling to escape the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, the spectre of Old Trafford refuses to leave Ravel Morrison alone.

The young talent left United in February 2012 after failing to make the most of his potential.

Sir Alex had had enough, but believed in the boy enough to entrust him to one of his friends, Sam Allardyce at West Ham.

It is as much Lee Clark as Allardyce that deserves credit for tapping into Morrison's potential; the youngster matured under the Birmingham City manager both on and off the pitch during the 2012/13 season.

As competitive as the Championship is, for attention it is dwarfed by the Premier League.

Thus Morrison's return to West Ham this season has thrust the player back into the crucible, his every move picked apart by fans, pundis and papers.

The midfielder has responded in kind - scoring three, assisting two - and transfer speculation has been ramped up with every spectacular strike or piece of skill, especially given the peculiar complications surrounding the contract.

In October it was reported that West Ham had to pay the Red £25,000 every time they picked the 20-year-old; then an £18m release clause was revealed; the latest talk is that any bids over £10m automatically quadruple Morrison's wages to £60,000 if West Ham want to keep him.

Not all of these developments have been confirmed but they all point towards an impending exit for Morrison, and the savvy Hammers owners have done little to stop momentum gathering.

A number of Premier League clubs have been linked with bids but the United story is the most enticing.

Of all the players linked with the Reds for January, Morrison would easily be the most attractive sale.

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A troubled teenager who left Old Trafford for a new start and is now touted as one of the most promising young English players.

It would be a return in more than one sense too, Morrison being born and raised in Wythenshawe - that would go down well with fans.

The real question is whether they need him.

Morrison is blockbuster on the pitch, and could bring an excitement to Old Trafford with his stepovers and mazy runs not seen arguably since Ronaldo departed for Madrid.

Of the midfielders currently at Old Trafford, only Adnan Januzaj has as many goals as the West Ham man this season in the league and Antonio Valencia is the sole squad member to match Morrison's assist tally.

In terms of crucial contributions then, the 20-year-old would help ease the burden on the attackers.

But while he may make headlines, his general match stats do not stand up to the current United crop.

As the charts show, Morrison is out-passed by the central players and out-crossed by the wide men - hardly an ideal combination.

There is also the problem of where he would fit into the United side. The Reds already have the continentally acclaimed Shinji Kagawa sat on the bench because United's formation doesn't suit the style of his No. 10 play.

Morrison does not do enough on the wing to warrant a wide position but Moyes' use of the likes of Phil Jones and Ryan Giggs alongside Michael Carrick in midfield this season indicates a preference for two solid players in the middle.

At 32, Carrick will not go on forever - but will his exit prompt a change in strategy?

Then there are the other players. That Moyes is considering recalling Nick Powell from his loan spell in the Championship suggests he is valued highly while there has also been talk of Barkley, Reus or other playmakers being brought in.

All this before the question of how experienced Morrison actually is is raised.

There is no doubt that the player could improve United, and could go on to be one of the best in the league. But we have to talk in speculation because of the youngster's age and relative inexperience.

If United want a top-class story, Morrison is well within their reach; if they want a proven top-class midfielder they must look elsewhere.