If there are two areas in which Manchester United need to strengthen this summer, it would be in defence and in midfield.
The extent of United’s woes at the back were clear for all to see on Saturday night as, after a string of injuries and suspensions, it meant Noussair Mazraoui had to start at centre-back. Despite that, they did still keep a clean sheet against a drab Chelsea side.
As a result, you sense that it’s in the middle of the park where the biggest recruitment drive must be organised. Casemiro has already confirmed he will be departing at the end of his contract while Manuel Ugarte has been widely tipped to exit too.
Where will the Red Devils turn to? Well, there are a few big-money targets in their sights.
Man United’s top targets to replace Casemiro
Regardless of whether Michael Carrick is in the dugout next season, it will be action stations as far as new transfers are concerned.
There’s plenty of work for Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrardo and Co to sink their teeth into and the first order of business in the market will be to bolster the midfield ranks.
Their two primary targets would appear to be Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali but the Italian could cost a pretty penny, as much as £100m in fact.
The same could be said of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. Speaking on his YouTube channel this weekend, Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Red Devils are “in conversations” alongside Manchester City to sign the English midfielder.
Yet, he is not the only midfielder that Romano claims United are in the picture for.
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A number of their additions haven’t lived up to expectations.
The transfer reporter further commented: “Keep an eye on another player, Ederson, the Brazilian player at Atalanta. What’s happening is that Atletico Madrid have an agreement with the player on personal terms but Atletico are not willing to pay what Atalanta want. Atalanta want €45m (£40m) but could negotiate to €40m.
“So now Premier League clubs are also calling for Ederson. If they are not able to close the deal then keep a close eye on the situation with Premier League clubs. Manchester United have been tracking him since Ruben Amorim was the coach. He’s also been appreciated at the club. It could be a very good opportunity as he’s not on a high salary. Premier League clubs are attentive to the situation.”
Man United’s midfield shortlist
Player
Club
Valuation
Sandro Tonali
Newcastle
£100m
Elliot Anderson
Nottingham Forest
£100m
Adam Wharton
Crystal Palace
£80m
Carlos Baleba
Brighton
£80m
Angelo Stiller
Stuttgart
£43m
Ederson
Atalanta
£40m
How Ederson compares to Casemiro
It’s safe to say that if United missed out on Tonali, and in particular, Anderson, their fans would not be best pleased.
While spending big is not always necessary, it really does feel necessary to beat City to a player of Anderson’s calibre.
The England international has been heralded as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” by Thomas Tuchel and for that reason, his price tag is astronomical. Yet for a fraction of the price, they could bring in a very talented midfielder in the shape of Ederson.
The Brazilian has been catching the eye for a number of years now and could be just the sort of player the new manager desires as they seek to replace the influence of Casemiro.
While the former Real Madrid man has been a threat going forward this term, that has largely been from set-plays, and in the shape of Ederson, they would find a sitting midfielder capable of doing the dirty work behind Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.
Described by Italian content creator Damiano Coccia as “the strongest defensive midfielder in the world“, he’s also attracted praise from former Three Lions boss Fabio Capello, who once noted: “Ederson is out of this world for his ability to combine running, physicality, technique and intelligence.”
That’s certainly good to hear, but what do the stats tell us?
Well, in some areas, they’re very alike and in others they are not. Indeed, as far as progressive passing is concerned, there is not a lot to separate the two.
Ederson ranks in the best 19% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for that metric while Casemiro ranks as highly as the top 13%. They are also closely aligned for key passes. They are both something of a shuttler in front of the defensive line.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Both fantastic readers of the ball, the biggest difference between the two is certainly the Atalanta midfielder’s ability to progress play, something that United would also be getting if they signed the more expensive Anderson.
Among midfielders in Europe’s top divisions, Ederson ranks in the top 30% for progressive carries, a metric Casemiro really fails in. He also completes a much higher percentage of his forward passes. In that regard, he is something of a hybrid between Mainoo and Casemiro.
The 26-year-old may not be the dream target but at £40m it would be a snip for one of Serie A’s finest midfield players.
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