Manchester United’s need for a central midfielder was emphasized by this weekend’s leaky 1-1 draw against Southampton, where Ole Gunnar Solskjær failed to exercise any control in the middle of the pitch and made a frustratingly incoherent performance as a result.
Other key areas have been strengthened, with Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane coming in. But the midfield looked like it could be left for another year,
The ideal may be someone like Declan Rice, but with a price tag of 100 million pounds on his head and a week with the transfer window left to do business, this deal is simply not viable.
However, there are other, cheaper alternatives, several of which may still require United to unload some firewood to create space and raise money, for which deals would be significantly more feasible.
Brighton’s Yves Bissouma is very high rated / Steve Bardens / Getty Images
After arriving at Brighton from Lille in 2018, Yves Bissouma really established himself in the Premier League towards the end of the 2019/20 campaign and missed only two matches last season.
He has often been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool in recent months and is known for his endurance, ball-winning skills and an ability to turn defense into attack.
At 24, Bissouma is still several years shy of his top, which means he still has the potential to develop and improve. The figure that has been thrown around so far is £ 40m, which would be a significant outlay, but undoubtedly well worth the investment in the long run.
Wolves are ready to sell Ruben Neves / Chris Brunskill / Fantasista / Getty Images
Ruben Neves has made himself a cult hero in Wolves over the years and changed Porto and Champions League football for Molineux and the Championship 2017 at just 20 years old.
But nothing lasts forever and if Neves wants to return to the Champions League before reaching his peak, he will have to move on as that will not happen at Wolves.
The Portuguese international is particularly known for his positioning and passing ability, both of which are qualities that would drastically improve United’s midfield. In addition, Wolves’ financial position means that they are open for sale if offers meet their valuation in excess of £ 30 million.
Atletico Madrid have made Saul Niguez available for loan / Denis Doyle / Getty Images
Capturing Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid would be a moment of opportunism. The Spaniard, although rumored to be unhappy with Wanda Metropolitano since last season, has only seriously entered the market for a potential Premier League move very recently.
He was previously linked with a move to Barcelona which then collapsed and Atletico are prepared to let the 26-year-old leave be loaned, as well as let him choose his destination.
A loan does not require a long-term commitment for United and Saul can give the chance to get a proven name while the situation is assessed in more detail before next season.
Rennes would rather sell Eduardo Camavinga now than lose him as a free agent next year / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Rennes’ prodigy Eduardo Camavinga is perhaps the ultimate double-edged sword, who can both immediately improve United’s midfield but also have a long-term upside.
He already has two full seasons of first-team football under his belt on a strong Rennes side, has played Champions League football during that time and will still not turn 19 until November.
Although a player with such potential is in his books, Rennes is aware that he already has his eyes on the next step and is not prepared to sign a new contract with the club after next summer. As a result, they are ready to take in this month and value him at £ 30 million.
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