Frenkie de Jong is the player in focus for fans of Manchester United this summer.
The Barcelona star has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford - with reports on Tuesday claiming that they are close to agreeing a deal - and he appears to be the key figure leading the club’s wish list for this summer.
He'll no doubt represent a major signing of intent to kickstart the Erik ten Hag era but legitimate questions remain over the suitability of the move given the complex issues facing United's midfield rebuild.
Is this a sensible signing?
First of all, even with a sizeable transfer fee United would be getting a good deal.
De Jong is 25, entering his peak years and coming off the back of a somewhat disappointing season - this is the perfect opportunity to bring a player of his profile into the setup to become the main man in midfield following the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
De Jong's arrival will make up for the loss of both of those players’ skillsets.
The Dutchman’s ability on and off the ball is well documented. First and foremost, though, he will add press resistance to United’s double pivot, which is something they have lacked since Michael Carrick’s retirement. De Jong brings a confidence and willingness to demand the ball which other United midfielders lack.
If nothing else, given their history with Ajax, there are few managers who know how to get the best out of De Jong as much as Ten Hag.
Can De Jong play with Fernandes and Van de Beek?
The past couple of seasons have seen Bruno Fernandes play as the sole number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 system under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then in an advanced number 8 role under Ralf Rangnick.
Fernandes’ high-risk high-reward approach worked well for United as he fulfilled a specific need for someone to score goals and create chances in volume for team-mates. However, for tactical reasons, fatigue and a myriad of other factors, his stock has taken a turn for the worse.
More often than not, Fernandes has been impatient with the ball and although he has been afforded the comfort of making mistakes, his style of play does not naturally lend itself to a possession-based system.
This is no doubt something that will be on Ten Hag’s mind as he attempts to figure out the best conditions for the Portuguese midfielder to thrive.
Fernandes may no longer enjoy the first-choice status under United's new management.
As for Donny van de Beek, it will be interesting to see how Ten Hag chooses to reintegrate the former Everton loanee, who was stunning successful during his time at Ajax.
After seeing little to no football in Merseyside, this summer might be the opportunity for Van de Beek to showcase his suitability to the way ten Hag wants his team to play, possibly even getting ahead of Fernandes for that no.10 role if Ten Hag utilises a 4-2-3-1 system as he did at Ajax last season.
In a midfield three where De Jong sits a little deeper, Van de Beek could very well play in a more advanced role closer which is where he thrives.
Should Van de Beek become the player United hoped for when they signed him, De Jong’s arrival could provide a very good headache for Ten Hag.
Will Fred and McTominay stay at United?
Fred and Scott McTominay’s partnership feels like an accidental result of trial and error rather than a purposeful attempt by the staff at United to establish a double pivot capable of going up against the best of the best.
Though there have been some memorable results and wins against their rivals in recent years, United have failed to stamp their authority on games for the most part, which is a problem stemming from their profiles in midfield.
Under Jose Mourinho, United probably had their most functioning double pivot in Matic and Ander Herrera, the latter is still someone who hasn’t effectively been replaced at the club. Whereas earlier under previous managers United were able to get away without dominating possession and hitting teams on the counter attack, this will not be the case under Ten Hag.
Unfortunately, the problem for Fred and McTominay is that neither of them are suited to a double pivot. At least not together.
De Jong’s arrival will almost certainly put their places in the first-team up for contention.
A quick glance at the numbers will tell you that De Jong, even in an underwhelming season, averaged more progressive passes and progressive carries than both Fred and McTominay.
Even when he is not at his best, De Jong is comfortably better than the two in question.
This is because De Jong is someone who thrives on being the prime receiver in midfield and will often drop deep to collect the ball from his centre backs and then evade any press from the opposition to progress the ball further up the pitch.
And that is how Ten Hag will expect United to play.
United still need to sign a defensive midfielder
The one big stumbling block for the signing of De Jong to work will be the lack of a defensive midfielder - someone willing to screen a defence so often exposed over the past year or so, providing cover to the centre backs and being competent in possession if not extraordinary.
De Jong’s signing is not an answer to that long-standing problem.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that he is repurposed in that profile, but that would be far from ideal. This is a signing that is only great on paper if you partner him with the right defensive midfielder to play alongside him.
Who should United sign in defensive midfield?
It is unlikely that United will be able to get big names in this role given where they are at the moment in comparison to Europe's other top clubs.
Boubacar Kamara would have been a good solution had he not joined Aston Villa, Kalvin Phillips would be overpriced and certainly not of the standard that United require to challenge for titles, N’Golo Kante has been linked but there are injury concerns coupled with his age and the returning James Garner is more likely to return to Nottingham Forest for another loan spell.
In filling this key position United’s recruitment and scouting will be put to the test this summer. Until or unless the long-standing defensive midfielder problem is solved, De Jong’s signing might not work out as well as it could and should.
The ideal partner will allow him to flourish and reinvigorate United’s midfield for years to come.
But Frenkie is just one piece in the puzzle.
