Mason Mount is a good start but Manchester United can't stop at one midfielder
Manchester United have been heavily linked with the transfer of the Chelsea midfielder
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Alright, let’s get into it….
Welcome to the transfer market in the social media age, you will never find a more wretched hive of false rumours and misinformation.
As a writer (and as a fan) it’s exhausting to go through the countless spurious reports day after day. While it’s easy to decipher what’s true the majority of the time, based on who is reporting it and the actual content of the rumour, occasionally fanbases allow themselves to get swept away (hope is a powerful drug).
We discussed what could be one of this summer’s biggest sagas in last week’s instalment of Played on Paper, the transfer of Declan Rice, and you can read it for free here.
While I’m sure this is the case for every fanbase, I would say that it is especially true for Manchester United. When you’re linked to 100 players in a month your mental fortitude to ignore rumours is unfortunately worn down.
One player United are definitely pursuing however is Mason Mount.
Mount only has a year left on his current deal with Chelsea, and despite coming through the famous ‘La Cobham’ it seems he has decided to move on and Old Trafford is his preferred destination.
The upgrade in midfield will be a welcome one. Despite adding Casemiro and Christian Eriksen last summer, United still struggled to control games and it’s clear that Erik ten Hag sees Mount as a solution to some of the team’s problems.
However, is signing Mount enough? Does one signing alone solve United’s problems in the centre of the park?
I don’t think so and this instalment of Played on Paper is going to explain why…
Before we look at the future of Manchester United’s midfield, we need to take a look at the state of their current options.
In Tifo’s latest video ‘Sensible Transfers: Manchester United’ (which you can watch here) Jon Mackenzie said two major factors were driving the club’s business this summer - budget, which we will talk about in due course, and age profile, which we will talk about now.
If we look at United’s core of midfielders from last season, excluding Kobbie Mainoo as he only made three appearances and Donny van der Beek as he only made 10 due to injury (and is likely to be sold), the youngest midfielder is Scott McTominay at 26.
Then it is Bruno Fernandes (28), Marcel Sabitzer (29), though his loan has finished and it seems his deal will not be made permanent, Fred (30), Casemiro (31) and Christian Erisken (31).
The doomsday clock that symbolises United’s squad longevity is at five minutes to midnight; both Eriksen and Casemiro have shown at times this season the battle scars that a long career can bring post 30 years old.
It should be noted that United played 62 matches plus there was a World Cup right in the middle of the season which Eriksen and Casemiro1 both competed in. However, it is still clear that more rotation is needed to help the old guard.
The signings United make could help this while also moving the ticking hand back a few more precious minutes.
With this in mind, you would think that United would prefer to keep McTominay as he is the youngest of the club’s options, but it’s not only about age, it’s about their profile as well.
Both McTominay and Fred have been useful to have in the squad in the past, but it’s clear that under Ten Hag their profiles and skillsets aren’t the best fit. This is why both players are available for transfer.
Their sales would also help raise funds for transfers this summer, both in the midfield and other areas of the pitch.
Fulham have been linked with a move for Fred, with United reportedly wanting around £20m for the Brazillian midfielder’s services and Scott McTominay is reportedly of interest to Newcastle and West Ham United, though there is nothing concrete to those links currently.
So what have we established so far?
United need younger midfielders to bring down the age profile of their squad and give Ten Hag the option of rotating instead of running his players into the ground.
That explains United’s move for Mount, at 24 he has many of his best years ahead of him and he would likely replace Eriksen immediately.
Not only does Mount have an incredible amount of technical ability on the ball and offers a goal threat from midfield, he has a great defensive work rate as well meaning he would help the team cope with transitions.
But if United part ways with one or both of Fred and McTominay then they can’t just sign one midfielder. Arguably even if they keep both of the (in)famous McFred duo, they still need to sign another player to deputise for Casemiro as the Brazilian is the only natural DM in the squad.
So as you’ve probably guessed, the conclusion to this entire train of thought is that United can’t just settle for one midfielder this summer (even if neglecting it wouldn’t be out of character).
Of course, we now need to come back to the second of the issues that Jon discussed in the Tifo video - the budget.
Now the exact budget varies depending on where you look but it is clear that United are somewhat restricted in this transfer window and may not be able to address all their issues.
A new goalkeeper needs to be signed alongside a striker and we have already discussed Mount, who will likely cost around £55m. The budget will increase with player sales, but player sales also mean that more positions need to be addressed when it comes to squad depth.
But let’s just say United do decide another midfielder is high on their priority list; they need a player who is comfortable on the ball and able to control the tempo while offering defensive stability when United are out of possession.
Declan Rice would be the ideal acquisition, but as Arsenal’s pursuit of him has shown, he may sit outside United’s budget at £100m. The Telegraph have reported however that West Ham are interested in both Harry Maguire and McTominay opening the door to a player + cash deal.
The other factors that may work against United however are Rice’s reluctance to leave London and also convincing the young midfielder that Casemiro’s presence will not affect his minutes.
So United may have to go for a lower-profile option or a midfielder who is happier playing second fiddle initially, and then succeed Casemiro in the future.
Romeo Lavia of recently relegated Southampton is of interest to United and could be available for around £40m, but they could face competition from other Premier League clubs.
At 19 years old, he would be able to deputise in the short term but has the top-level experience to make an impact when he is rotated in. He is my preferred option.
26-year-old Sofyan Amrabat is another player who could fit the bill as a good rotation player. He has been exceptional for Fiorentina and Morocco this season and would make sense if United could get him for a reasonable fee.
Personally though if United were unable to get Lavia, I would look to the South American market. Fabricio Diaz was one of the players of the tournament for Uruguay at the U20 World Cup and Alan Varela has also been a stable presence for Boca Juniors in the centre of the park.
Going over to Brazil, Andre has been exceptional for Fluminense and all of these names would likely cost United a lot less than more established names.2
This is a big window for Manchester United. Their first season under Ten Hag brought them a trophy and a third-placed finish and now they must not allow themselves to go backwards by failing to invest correctly.
Mason Mount will be a good start to the window (if the transfer does eventually go through) but it can’t be United’s only incoming; they need upgrades and they need reinforcements.
Yes, a goalkeeper is important and so is a striker and if United fail to sign them that will cause problems next season, but the team’s midfield has been devoid of technically capable players for too long and that must be addressed if they are to close the gap.
Casemiro was obviously suspended for a high number of games this season but he still made 51 appearances in all competitions.
In general, I would like United to employ this strategy much more regularly and make use of their extensive scouting network.