When Erik ten Hag was appointed the new manager of Manchester United, there was an expectation from fans that he would overhaul the team in order to implement his vision. And it seems that the Dutch revolution will begin in midfield at Old Trafford.
United have been locked in talks for Frenkie de Jong with Barcelona for the past few weeks, and while the two clubs are yet to agree on a fee there is an expectation that the deal will hopefully get done. The 25-year-old midfielder worked with Ten Hag while he was at Ajax and was a key part of the midfield that saw them reach the Champions League semi-final in 2018/19.
But who will partner De Jong in midfield? The expectation from many United fans was that the club would look to sign a defensive midfielder since Nemanja Matic has departed the club, but the actual answer may be a little more unconventional.
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Christian Eriksen is available on a free transfer and after a good half-season with Brentford and some training sessions with Ajax back when Ten Hag was manager, he has left a good impression on the manager. And it could be the case that United operate with a pivot of the Danish midfielder and De Jong next season.
This has its obvious benefits. Both are incredibly capable on the ball, with De Jong being a great carrier while Eriksen has a passing range on him which would remind United fans of Paul Pogba and Juan Mata.
They are both positionally aware as well, which would help United build-up from the back more effectively. One of the major problems last season is when Scott McTominay played as the number six, he would play in the opponents' shadow, therefore, cutting himself off as a passing option.
The big question mark comes over how defensively sound the pairing would be. With both being more offensively minded, they would leave the defence unprotected when in transition and this could cause significant problems when United are being hit on the counter.
Given that the team will be learning a new system and both Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes' tendency to try and create plays from nothing which results in a high turnover of the ball, this would not be the greatest. However, Ten Hag managed to find a way to turn winger Lasse Schone into a defensive midfielder, so if this is his idea there may be some method to his madness.
But this might be where the idea falls apart. Eriksen has never shown the ability to be more defensive deeper and by asking De Jong to do this job, you are limiting how much he can do going forward.
In possession, it's a significant upgrade on what United already have, but the question marks it raises within the fanbase are all relevant. Hopefully, another midfielder is further down the list for the club who can add defensive security.
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