It's destined to be yet another intriguing and potentially expensive summer for Manchester United.
Though Erik ten Hag has done an excellent job since taking charge of the club last summer, the limitations of the poorly constructed squad he inherited are beginning to show as United's season fizzles out. Several positions are in need of significant reinforcement with midfield being one of the most important.
United lack strength in depth and are considerably worse when Casemiro or Christian Eriksen are missing or playing below par but the club's ideal targets may be out of reach. Even if Jude Bellingham wasn't seemingly heading to Real Madrid, United would struggle to sign him ahead of Manchester City and Frenkie de Jong has made it abundantly clear that he wants to stay in Barcelona.
Also read: Garnacho could get a chance to respond to Ten Hag's challenge
So who should United bring in to reinforce their midfield? Our writers have had their say on some possible alternatives...
Samuel Luckhurst
Which midfielder United go for is such a loaded question. Frenkie de Jong would fit like a glove but he is not necessarily a realistic shout. De Jong didn't feel a realistic option in a summer United actually had a fee accepted for him.
Jude Bellingham seems destined to go to Real Madrid and you can hardly blame him when they already have Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni. United were in for Camavinga two years ago but got wind he favoured a move to Spain. An erstwhile United scout did a presentation on why they should not sign Tchouameni. Little wonder he's gone.
Declan Rice has the skill set to spread his wings at a bigger club but Moises Caicedo may have a higher ceiling. It's United's problem they would have to pay possibly 20 times as much as they could have signed him for back in 2021.
Daniel Murphy
With a striker being United's biggest priority and the sizeable fee Harry Kane or any alternative would command, there may not be an awful lot left in the budget to go on the midfield. Especially when you consider the other positions that need attention as well as the uncertainty surrounding the club's ownership.
As a result, United might also be ruled out of the race for the likes of Declan Rice and Alexis Mac Allister purely on financial grounds. If so, they could turn to some interesting options on the cheap side.
Though players from relegated sides hardly inspire much excitement, James Ward-Prowse has had another very good season in a pitiful Southampton team. He has the passing skills Ten Hag wants and is the best in the Premier League at set pieces. Additionally, Leicester City's Youri Tielemans, a player United liked in the past, is set to be available on a free transfer and would bring some much-needed energy, dynamism and efficiency to an occasionally leggy midfield.
Kyle Newbould
The level of midfielder United can go for depends on how much they plan to spend on Ten Hag’s absolute priority, a world-class striker. That the Dutchman is in the dark over this summer’s budget won’t help, not least because the takeover process seems some way from being complete.
Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are likely out of the Reds’ price range in that case, but Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister could fit the bill. The Argentine has shown his versatility in recent weeks, playing alongside Moises Caicedo in a deeper, ball-playing role after excelling previously as more of a No.10.
Cover and competition for Casemiro would also do no harm, should the budget allow it. Ruben Neves has been brilliant in that role for Wolves this season, and would offer a little more going forward in games United are expected to dominate.
READ MORE:
