It hasn’t exactly been the most fruitful World Cup for Manchester United’s midfield players, and it remains to be seen how this will affect Michael Carrick and co next season.
Mason Mount, who will be part of England’s squad for Qatar in 2022, has received little attention this time around, while Coby Mainu has yet to feature despite being selected by manager Thomas Tuchel.
Tyler Fletcher, a late call-up to Steve Clarke’s side, didn’t play a single minute as Scotland were eliminated, while new signing Ederson received his final call-up and was only used as Brazil’s substitute right-back.
Elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes is forced to face an aging Cristiano Ronaldo, while Manuel Ugarte’s struggles continue after sustaining a serious injury in Uruguay’s final group game against Spain.
Ugarte – PL Records | ||
|---|---|---|
24/25 | Statistics (*per game) | 25/26 |
29(22) | Game (start) | 22(8) |
1 | the goal | 0 |
2 | assist | 0 |
89% | Pass rate* | 85% |
0.3 | Key pass* | 0.1 |
3 | A big opportunity has arisen | 0 |
3.6 | Tackles and interceptions* | 3.0 |
4.2 | collect* | 2.3 |
0.6 | It was successful. dribble* | 0.3 |
1.3 | Dribbling breakthrough* | 0.7 |
The blow will increase United’s need for new signings, but with midfield still the biggest area of concern at Old Trafford, it could also hamper any hopes of recouping a transfer fee for the South American national team.
Wilcox could become a key figure in United’s midfield signing
The headline name was Matheus Fernandes and despite the Portuguese being believed to be favoring a move to Manchester, it was Tottenham Hotspur who won the heated battle.
The 21-year-old will not follow in Ederson’s footsteps to become INEOS’ midfield signing number two and will certainly need to have a replacement available.
As The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed, Ugarte’s setback won’t necessarily be a hurdle for new players, as INEOS doesn’t rely on sales to fund further signings anyway.
The club’s process will be led by Jason Wilcox, with the English player having “ultimate responsibility” for both transfers and transfers.
The paper also notes that a transfer manager could be a key factor in United’s bid for Felix Nmeka, with the German having risen through the ranks at Manchester City while Wilcox was at the Etihad.
It is believed that talks were held with Borussia Dortmund about a possible deal for the 25-year-old, with the player definitely one of the options on the table this summer, amidst talks of an initial ‘investigation’.
The former City man is said to be keen on a return to the Premier League, but it remains to be seen whether any suitors will meet the reported £100m asking price.
Comparison between Nmeka and Matheus Fernandes
Nmeka was part of the squad that was sent off in the penalty shootout against Paraguay on Monday night, so perhaps it’s not the best time to report interest in the German target.
This is not a vintage outfit under manager Julian Nagelsmann, as his early sending off showed, but Nmeka at least stole the show through those four games, scoring a memorable opening goal against Curaçao with a superb curling finish.
Ahead of his appearance, Nagelsmann reportedly outlined to the 6ft 3in midfielder that he had the potential to be “the best player in the world” in his position, a sign of how highly regarded he is.
Jadon Sancho’s mark 2 might be a concern if United were to sign the former Manchester City-born Dortmund player, but looks aside, Nmeka would be a real asset to add to Carrick’s midfield unit.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a productive season back in Germany, scoring five goals and assisting in the Bundesliga and is reaching the peak of his powers.
In fact, this is worse than West Ham’s Fernandes’ aforementioned record of seven goals and assists in the Premier League, but it is Nmeka who comes out on top in a series of other metrics.
In fact, what’s most notable about the former Wolfsburg man is how elite a ball carrier he is, almost Paul Pogba-like in terms of his ability to lift his team up the pitch from deep.
According to ScoutLab, he ranks in the top 10% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in progressive carries per 90 points, in the top 10% in productive dribbles, and in the top 13% in successful dribbles.
For comparison, Fernandes ranks in the top 31%, top 43%, and top 34% of the same three metrics, respectively, and is clearly not as skilled in that regard.
Similarly, Nmeka is more creative, outperforming the younger player in ‘big chances’ from open play (0.12 vs. 0.06) and shots per 90 (1.36 vs. 0.83).
He is a threatening and dominant midfielder who could offer something this United side haven’t had in recent years, and he boasts a physicality that Fernandes cannot match.
With five years of experience in the Bundesliga and regular appearances in the Champions League, Nmeka knows what it takes to perform at an elite level.
Fernandes is only 21 years old and has the potential to blossom into a true star in the future, but Nmeka may be the better immediate player at the moment.
Alongside Ederson: new Mainu is set to ‘officially’ sign with Manchester United
Manchester United remain busy in the summer transfer window.
