The decision not to pursue new midfield signings both last summer and in January this year does not appear to bite Manchester United based on current evidence, with new head coach Michael Carrick looking set to steer the club towards European qualification.
The Red Devils have certainly needed to invest in their forward areas ahead of the current campaign, but it’s fair to say that Benjamin Sesco, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbeumo all added weight overlooking the center of the park was a real risk.
It was thought that a personal deal had been struck for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleva, but with a hefty transfer fee revealed, United bided their time, grateful for the resurgence and reliability of the aging Casemiro.
However, with the Brazilian set to leave this summer and Bruno Fernandes’ future still up for debate, United cannot afford to go into the 2026/27 season without at least one new midfielder.
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From Manuel Ugarte to Donny van de Beek, Paul Pogba to Morgan Schneiderlin, the midfield department has been a perennial problem at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have splurged big on many occasions, but the years following Sir Alex Ferguson have been fraught with transfer mistakes in midfield, which once again leaves INEOS in a position where they need major surgery and investment.
By all accounts, the club are focused on their Premier League goals, with the likes of Elliott Anderson, Adam Wharton and the aforementioned Baleva on the table as they search for young, long-term fits.
However, there are other players in the division who are believed to be of interest to United, with Football Insider’s Keith Wyness reporting that the club are “looking at” Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.
According to reports, the Italian international is likely to leave the club at the end of the season, and there were also reports that his agent made an offer to league leaders Arsenal in January.
For United, this latest report suggests the 25-year-old, valued at £100m by the Magpies, wants a move to Old Trafford after almost three years on Tyneside.
Why Tonali could be Man United’s other Roy Keane
There was a time when United’s midfield department was the envy of the Premier League, if not Europe, and Ferguson’s treble-winning side particularly boasted an impressive duo in the engine room of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane.
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They might have left their seats. that On that night at the Camp Nou, Keane in particular dragged Fergie’s side into the final, producing one of the great individual performances of all time in the semi-final in Turin.
At the age of 6, 8 and 10, Keane was a jack of all trades, a master of it all, the quintessential all-round box-to-box midfielder.
There is a sense that Tonali has similar qualities, being the type of midfielder who can almost win games on his own in the center of the park, having just scored two goals in Newcastle’s FA Cup win over Aston Villa.
Athletic, all-action but goal-scoring, the Italian certainly has classic Keane-style qualities to his game, with 17 goals and an assist in 97 games for his current team.
Tonal – 24/25 PL Statistics | |
|---|---|
Statistics (*per game) | record |
game | 36 |
begins | 28 |
the goal | 4 |
assist | 2 |
Pass accuracy* | 86% |
Key pass* | 0.8 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 4 |
Total number of duels won* | 54% |
Tackles and interceptions* | 2.3 |
Ball recovery rate* | 4.9 |
Tonali, formerly of AC Milan and Brescia, has overcome early setbacks at St James’ Park to emerge as a true key figure for Eddie Howe’s domineering and relentless Magpies, following a 10-month absence due to a gambling ban.
His form over the long term was such that Keane’s former teammate Scholes suggested at the start of the campaign that he was currently the best midfielder in the league, with the Englishman saying Tonali was “better” than Arsenal’s Declan Rice.
United benefited from poaching the young Keane from Nottingham Forest in 1993, and a similar deal could be repeated if they can sign another Premier League-proven talent from their top-flight rivals.
Tonali is comfortable both in a deep role and as an advanced box-destroying option, and fits the mold of an all-rounder that United have been coveting as clubs have often sought specificity over quality in recent years.
Keane was an imposing figure who could do it all, and Tonali can too, given his time in both England and Italy.
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