It’s been a rollercoaster of a transfer window for Manchester United so far.
Everyone knew Casemiro was leaving, but replacing the great Brazilian turned out to be tougher for the Red Devils than originally imagined.
Elliott Anderson and Matheus Fernandes were his top targets, but he instead joined Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Then Michael Carrick and others had to get a little creative.
Ederson’s contract collapsed in favor of Andrej Santos and Youri Tielemans. Both movements seem to come out of nowhere.
Having said that, there is a feeling they still need another midfielder.
Why Man United need to further improve their midfield
To be honest, United only really had three midfielders who could do Carrick’s job last season. Bruno Fernandes, Koby Mainu and the aforementioned Casemiro.
Manuel Ugarte has hardly kicked a ball under the new manager, but he will continue to be sidelined next season after sustaining a brutal anterior cruciate ligament tear during the World Cup.
This rules out the possibility of the Uruguayan’s departure and shows why they need to bring in a third midfielder. Santos and Tielemans add great quality, but it still feels like they’re not real replacements for Casemiro.
Tielemans is not your huge duel winner. He’s small and more of a playmaker. Santos resembles the Brazilian, but the worrying thing is that he hasn’t actually played much football since moving to Chelsea. Last season, he started just 13 games in the Premier League.
So what could be the solution? Well, several other midfielders are also being considered. Aurelien Choameny is a dream target, but a deal seems unlikely.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleva remains an option, while Borussia Dortmund’s impressive Felix Nmeka is also on the radar. But for now, any moves regarding this combination have been put on the back burner. Instead, it seems likely that one of Choameni’s international colleagues will be transferred.
France’s ‘best midfielder’ could replace Casemiro at Manchester United
United did everything they could to find a natural replacement for Casemiro this summer, but that’s easier said than done.
He has 91 caps for Brazil and has won five Champions League titles. It was never easy.
Tielemans and Santos could help fill that void, but what United need is a tough tackler. They need players and runners who can break up plays. They need someone like Paul Pogba.
The Frenchman remains incredibly highly rated at Old Trafford and it’s easy to see why. The definition of a maverick, the midfielder can do it all. He had incredible physical ability, but also grace and technique. He was a perfect midfielder.
manchester united pogba | |
|---|---|
signed | £89m |
game | 233 |
the goal | 39 |
assist | 51 |
yellow card | 41 |
red card | 3 |
Play time (minutes) | 17,692 |
Well, Manu Kone is a genuine option for them as they look to find a new version of Pogba to replace Casemiro. Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel on Sunday night that United are already in talks with the player’s agent over a transfer.
The signing of the Roma midfielder, worth around £51 million, would be a particularly cost-effective addition in a summer dominated by high fees.
Liverpool are also keen to sign him, but why is the 25-year-old attracting so much attention? Well, in the words of Rio Ferdinand, he was arguably “France’s best midfielder” at the World Cup.
Standing at an imposing 6-foot-1, he’s not a giant, but he’s not the smallest either. That’s what makes him such an impressive midfielder and, like Pogba in his prime, allows him to have such a complete toolkit.
While Kone hasn’t had as much influence in the final third as United’s former midfielder (he scored just two goals last season), there are some similarities in their play.
In fact, two of his biggest strengths were his ability to run the ball and draw fouls, and Pogba excelled at that. Last season in Serie A, the Roma star ranked in the top 15% of midfielders with a dribble success rate of 1.06 per 90 minutes, and also ranked in the best 15% with a foul success rate of 1.94 per 90 minutes.
What makes this comparison even stronger is actually the love Kone has for his fellow countrymen. Last year, he admitted in an interview: “I had two favorite players. The first one was Pogba. His performances with Juventus and the French national team were incredible, and he was an international player for the national team. He was one of my idols, along with Yaya Toure. They both had great careers, but I think I’m a bit comparable to them in terms of my qualities and my style of play.”
He may not have been on the radar of supporters when he first arrived, but after starring at the World Cup, his stock has risen and he will be a great catcher this summer. He could be exactly the player United were looking for to replace Casemiro.
