Marquee Midfielder – Introduction:
With the season drawing to a close in five days time and the transfer mill already churning, Manchester United will be looking to restrengthen in the summer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already admitted that they need reinforcements following the 4-2 defeat to Liverpool and again after the defeat to Villarreal. While United have already triggered Edinson Cavani’s extension and snapped up Tom Heaton, there are a few other positions that need bulking up including a defensive midfielder.
Why do Manchester United need another midfielder?
Fred and McTominay have done an excellent job in shoring up the United defence, especially in the big games. However, it is clear United want one player that can do what ‘McFred’ do and allow Pogba to slot in alongside with Bruno in the ‘no.10 role’. Neither of them have shown so far that they can consistently do that and what’s more is they look worse when not paired together. This coupled with the suggestion that Nemanja Matic could move to Mourinho’s Roma side for around £8.5m means United need to fill a gap in their squad.
So, the big question is who is available and, most importantly, affordable? Well, the big name thrown around is Declan Rice who is an excellent candidate and already does this for West Ham with Soucek and Lingard getting forward. However, the price-tag most recently suggested is north of £90m. A ridiculous amount for Rice who is at best, worth £50m. Even in a swap deal with Lingard, this would hugely cripple whatever bare-minimum funds the Glazers will give Ole.
So, if not Rice then who? There are a few top-class candidates that could be available for less than £40m. As we have already done in a thread on our Twitter page, in this article I will break down who they are and why they could take United’s midfield to the next level:
Top 5 Midfielder Options for 2021 Summer Window
1. Florian Neuhaus (24) BMG
I did think this was just an “edgy” option to Rice, but I’ve seen the light with Neuhaus. Defensively solid, a good tackler and presser and a very forward-thinking midfielder is exactly what United needs. His tackling success rate and press success rate are roughly 5% better than both Fred and McTominay. He is one of the best passers under pressure and progressive carriers from the defensive third in Europe’s top divisions. Truly a replacement for Carrick if ever I’ve seen one.
It looks like Bayern and Dortmund are happy with their midfield options so the biggest threats to Manchester United look gone. With BMG finishing 8th this season, Neuhaus may have a wish to continue in the UCL. Enter Manchester United. Liverpool remain reportedly interested in Neuhaus. However, their midfield is the least of their problems as they need more cover defensively and for their aging forwards. Neuhaus is valued at €40m (£36m) and should be snapped up if United get the chance.
2. Youssouf Fofana (22) AS Monaco
If Neuhaus chooses to stay or join Liverpool, Fofana is another great option. His passing is not as good as Neuhaus and gets booked quite a lot. Despite this, he has been one of the best defensively in Europe over the last 12 months. He has a staggering 83.5% tackling success rate. Over 20% more than either Fred or McTominay and his pressing rate is an astounding 38.4% which betters Neuhaus’ success rate too. He carries the ball well and is a good dribbler. He could slot in next to Pogba seamlessly. Right now, no one is linked with Youssouf Fofana. Not even PSG. Everyone’s eyes remain fixed on Aurelien Tchouameni. Tchouameni is a great talent but Fofana is marginally better in an anchor role.
Monaco have been known to be a selling club with almost all of the title-winning squad in 2016/17 cashed in for and they still managed to get solid replacements in for (bar Mbappe obviously). But United will need to act quickly.
If Chelsea or another club go for Tchouameni then Monaco may be reluctant to sell both players in the same window. So, if United act quickly and get Fofana for around €45m (£40.5m) then not only will they get a great player they may prevent Chelsea from doing the same.
Win-win.
3. Ruben Neves (24) Wolverhampton Wanderers
A lot of people saying Neves is not a good player but that’s simply not true. Neves has evolved from a prospect to one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League under Nuno. One that has a huge variety of passing, defends intelligently and a set-piece maestro. He is one of the best long passers in Europe and switches the ball so well to create space quickly. Something United desperately need. His reading of the game is excellent, and he is one of the best at blocking shots, passes and intercepting dribblers in the league. Something that Neves is truly brilliant at is blocking chances and transitioning into quick counters. Something United remain one of the best in the world at. Neves’ reading of the game defensively will help create counter after counter in devastating fashion.
The reason he won’t be looked at too much is his lack of pace and that he plays behind a back five. However, his ability to play in a midfield where he is the more defensive of the duo is what makes him an excellent candidate. Not to mention his ability to score ridiculous goals. With Nuno’s Portuguese revolution set to disband with his departure. It is reported Neves could be available for just £35m. A steal really. If United want someone with Premier League experience and one who can play in both a midfield pair and as a lone anchor, Neves is a great midfielder.
4. Aurelien Tchouameni (21) AS Monaco
A top talent who could become an excellent midfielder in the future. Tchouameni has all the attributes and qualities of a great defensive midfielder. So much that Fabregas has urged Chelsea to pay £34m for the midfielder. He is an excellent midfielder who is cool and composed under pressure, can win the ball efficiently and one of the best tacklers in Europe. His range of tackling is excellent as he is in the 95+ percentile for tackles made in every area of the pitch for European midfielders. Insane stats. He is also a good dribbler and has great recovery pace. However, he rarely moves the team forward and his range of passing is more limited than the other three players above.
What’s more is more clubs are after Tchouameni than the others. Chelsea have already reportedly weighed up a £34m bid and others could follow suit. This is why he is a bit lower down on the list but by no means a bad player. Just not quite what United need.
5. Teun Koopmeiners (23) AZ Alkmaar
The AZ midfielder has been linked with numerous clubs after an excellent 20 G/A season in the Eredivisie. His passing stats are not great as he has a very low success rate of around 75% which would make many rule him out but it’s the rest that makes him a candidate. Koopmeiners could become an ultimate box to box midfielder or an outstanding anchor.
He is excellent in the air, as good at pressing as Fofana, makes more through balls than Neuhaus, more blocks than Neves and drives the team forward as well as the BMG midfielder. He makes a pass in the defensive area or wins the ball high in the midfield and then runs into the box looking for a goal or an assist and is not afraid to try his luck. Something Sir Alex has always defined as a Manchester United player.
It seems Koopmeiners may be available for around £40m like Donny was last summer. If Koeman is kept at Barcelona, then he may choose to join the Catalan giants but United would be a strong candidate too. The reason he is not quite as good an option as the other four is that he seems more like a box-to-box midfielder and not a lone anchor which would change the way Ole would want United to play with Pogba and raise questions over Donny’s role once again.
It seems that Koopmeiners would be a better option as a Pogba replacement, should he leave, than one to play alongside him as he does like to get forward and is not great at recovering the ball, unlike the other midfielders above.
Who do you think United should sign?
