Rival clubs, super agents and Manchester United’s current crop will be fully aware of Jason Wilcox’s summer priorities – the signing of a new elite midfielder.
Since the days of Michael Carrick as a player, the center of the park has long been a problem at Old Trafford, with Manuel Ugarte joining the likes of Donny van de Beek, Sofyan Amrabat and Fred as the latest flawed player to sign for Manchester.
Despite faltering under Erik ten Hag, Casemiro’s £70m signing has paid off, with the 34-year-old Brazilian scoring seven goals in 28 Premier League starts this season.
A resurgence under Carrick’s watch has fueled calls for the veteran’s contract to be extended, although the former Real Madrid man’s farewell tour should remain the same.
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Man Utd’s top goals – 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
The player |
Goals |
|
Sesko |
10 |
|
Mbeumo |
10 |
|
Fernandes |
8 |
|
Casemiro |
7 |
|
Cunha |
7 |
|
Dorgu |
3 |
|
The mountain |
3 |
|
Zirkzee |
2 |
|
Mad |
2 |
|
Maguire |
2 |
Going into the summer then, with Casemiro on the way and Ugarte likely to follow, at least one new midfielder is needed as a matter of urgency.
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Considering the dire state of United’s midfield unit, Wilcox and INEOS should just get this next round of recruitment, no doubt hammered out by Ugarte 18 months ago.
Lessons may have been learned from the £50m blunder, with reports suggesting the Red Devils could go the Premier League-proven route, while talks are believed to have taken place over a marquee contract for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes.
The Brazilian may seem unrealistic given his importance to the Magpies, however with Eddie Howe’s side looking unlikely to secure the Champions League or European football on current evidence, Old Trafford could prove a tempting venue.
A top-five finish could allow Wilcox and his team-mates to attract more big-name talent from abroad, with reports in Spain suggesting United are linked with Barcelona star Fermin Lopez.
The suggestion is that the Red Devils are willing to fork out around €100m (£86m) for the Spain international from Catalonia, the 22-year-old who has been spotted by Chelsea.
The only problem would be that although United are interested in making a deal, the LaLiga giants currently do not want to sell, and the player is not believed to want to leave as it is, his current contract will run until 2031.
Why Lopez represents a greater talent than Guimaraes
There could be a deal in 2022 in pursuit of another rising star at the Camp Nou, with Ten Hag turning to Casemiro after missing out on partner Frenkie de Jong following the summer saga.
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United, and Wilcox in particular, will want to avoid a repeat of the situation, although Lopez would be worth chasing, with the La Masia graduate shining under Hansi Flick recently.
While Guimaraes may be proud of their Premier League experience, Lopez – aged just 22 – will represent a much longer term, having made 127 appearances for the LaLiga giants so far.
In comparison, Guimaraes did not move to Newcastle until he turned 24 in 2022, having already recorded 189 appearances under Howe’s watch.
Despite few appearances for his current club, Lopez boasts a remarkably similar record to the Brazilian in terms of goal contributions, scoring 31 times and registering 27 assists in all competitions.
In the case of Guimaraes, the 28-year-old has scored 31 goals himself, along with 31 assists, despite being in more than 60 games for his current club.
It could be argued that’s an unfair comparison if the Newcastle captain has played a deeper role at times, even though he and Lopez are actually eight players, which has made the box less effective in recent seasons.
In the current campaign, for example, the Barca sensation has scored 28 goals and assists in all competitions, ten of which have come in just nine Champions League games.
Again, in comparison, Guimaraes registered only 16 goals and assists, while failing to record a single contribution during his team’s run in Europe.
With Lopez boasting the advantage of being able to operate as a number eight, number ten or winger, he will undoubtedly provide real value, with his market value in line with what United are willing to pay, according to Transfermarkt. Guimaraes, meanwhile, is said to be worth around €75m (£64m).
That difference in importance also shows why a young man can represent a big talent, and Lopez is the perfect target ahead of a potentially seismic summer for Wilcox and United.
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