Manchester United are reportedly likely to look for an emerging young central midfielder in the transfer market this summer.
The Red Devils look like they could do with making some changes in that position after a total lack of impact from Donny van de Beek since his move from Ajax last summer, while Nemanja Matic and Fred were both poor in the weekend FA Cup defeat against Leicester City.
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It remains to be seen who Man Utd will go after, with Eurosport not naming any specific names, but their report suggests it will be a rising star for the future, rather than a more established figure.
United fans will no doubt be craving big names, though the club also has a fine track record when it comes to identifying and developing some of the world’s best young players.
It’s also worth noting that MUFC seem to keep on getting it wrong in the transfer market when it comes to big-name signings, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria and now Van de Beek just a few examples of players who looked like exciting additions before flopping at Old Trafford.
One player that might be worth looking at is Leicester star Youri Tielemans, who scored against United at the weekend to cap a fine performance, with former Red Devil Luke Chadwick telling CaughtOffside he looks like he could be a great fit in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
“Yeah I think he plays that sort of role where he’s got a bit of everything,” Chadwick said. “He’s played a deeper role when James Maddison plays, and it would be great to have someone like him to feed the ball into Bruno Fernandes.
“But he does the other stuff as well, he puts a shift in. When he came on loan to Leicester initially he was a revelation, one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in that period. I think when he signed permanently he had a dip in form, but he looks back to his best, and he’s had a massive role in Leicester’s form in the Premier League.
“Quite often we see players play well against United and we think ‘could we get him and could he do well in our team’ and I think he’s got all the attributes to be a Manchester United player, but he’s playing for Leicester, another top club. Would they be able to prise him away?
“Looking at United’s options in that area of the pitch, he’s very similar to Pogba. He’s an exciting player that might be worth looking into bringing in.”