Manchester United require midfield reinforcements in the summer. A defensive midfielder has been a high priority since last summer but with Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata all expected to leave on a free in the summer, there is a need for another midfielder who can play further forward.
Reports in Argentina have already United have sent scouts to watch River Plate's, Enzo Fernandez. The 21-year-old Argentinian midfielder is also on the radar of Real Madrid, but just why are United potentially interested in the player?
The Independent reported that in his interview for the United job, Erik ten Hag stated that he wanted to create a team who were fit enough to play his pressing game and also to compete at the highest level in the Champions League for 90 minutes at a time. Developed under Marcelo Gallardo, Fernandez has that mindset and is used to playing the positional game that Ten Hag would hope to implement at United.
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Fernandez is usually deployed as a box-to-box midfielder at the heart of River's midfield, next to the more defensively minded Enzo Perez. With Bruno Fernandes and potentially Donny van de Beek occupying the more attacking role, a player that can rotate with Fred in a more transitional capacity would be welcomed at Old Trafford.
But it's not Fernandez's work rate and defensive capabilities that are up to standard, he is a technically sound playmaker who can influence the game in possession, too. This season United have had serious problems with how they build up from the back and some fans have complained about how slow they are compared to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in getting the ball into the opposition's final third.
Fernandez can pick the ball up in midfield and progress it reliably up the pitch, either by carrying it himself or passing it to one of his teammates who has moved into space — and this is something that will be severely lacking in the squad if and when Pogba leaves. This sort of play, fans hope, will be a feature of Ten Hag's spell at United as a lot of the Dutchman's tactics are based around high mobility.
Fernandez has scored four goals and registered three assists in 11 appearances for River and his latest goal came in a match against Fortaleza on Wednesday night, which United scouts were reportedly watching. The midfielder has a release clause of £16.6m which would allow United to spend more money in other areas.
Signing Fernandez would be a risk, given he's not proven in European football, but it would be a sign that United's transfer strategy is becoming less obvious. Too many times in recent years, the club have resorted to signing the big-name players with not much consideration for how they fit into the squad.
Fernandez is a cheaper option, who will be making a step up and looking to prove himself and he also fits the profile of what United need to succeed under Ten Hag. And if he can reach the ability levels that most expect of him in Argentina, he could be a shrewd acquisition.
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