Manchester United transfer rumours: Why United must sign a defensive midfielder
Manchester United’s squad returned from their summer break to pre-season training on Monday, but a single signing is yet to be made following the forgettable 2021/22 season.
With five players already leaving the club as free agents, the side are currently expected to go into the new campaign with a weaker squad and a bench with no experience.
There are a number of areas that the board and owners need to address over the next couple of months, from the leaky defence, to the void left by the departure of Paul Pogba, to the missing quality of a goal-scoring right winger.
However, the lack of noise around the prospective signing of a holding midfielder is a huge concern, an important department that has been completely ignored by the club.
Lack of options in defensive midfield
Nemanja Matic’s exit from Old Trafford results in there being zero natural defensive midfielders left in the squad.
Although Fred and Scott McTominay have been utilised in this role from time to time, the former has shown his qualities as a box-to-box midfielder and his skillset would make him a liability if he was to consistently play just in front of the defence.
On the other hand, the latter was as an attack-minded player from his days in the United academy and plays as a centre-back for the Scotland national team. He is not the type of player to be used in the most crucial role in the side.
For sure, there have been relentless links for the potential signing of Frenkie de Jong, though he is not an all-out defensive midfielder. The Dutchman is commonly known for his ability to help progress possession from his own half into the final third of the pitch through his dribbling, decision making and the types of passes he can produce.
Not only that, his burst of pace, intelligence, and positioning on and off the ball, make him one of the most complete midfielders around in Europe.
De Jong not a 'DM'
The 25-year-old does not naturally sit within an area of the pitch, as he likes to roam forward on the ball, and he has a constant desire to press the opposition whenever he or his team-mate loses possession. On that basis, playing him in a position where he’ll leave space behind him and creating a big gap from the defence to midfield would hinder the team’s overall performance and his output.
The number six position is one of the most significant roles within the modern era of football, as they provide stability to the side as the lone holding midfielder whilst helping the team to tick going forward by making progressive passes between the lines.
When looking at the best players in this area in Europe, the ones that instantly come to mind are the likes of Casemiro, Fabinho and Rodri, who have all been a monumental factor towards their respective clubs’ success in recent years.
Now, focusing back on United, who are currently going through a cultural reset off the pitch which has caused a huge delay in delivering players for Erik ten Hag so far this summer.
The club are attempting to repair the recruitment and negotiation policy, which has led to missing out on recognised players such as Boubacar Kamara, Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips for the holding midfielder role.
Sangare a potential option
Nevertheless, there are always options within the market that are good enough for the club to investigate, but they can be challenging to find as the big clubs mainly want individuals who are well known or are playing in the top five leagues in Europe.
Ibrahim Sangare is a player who fits into this bracket, someone who has been a regular starter for PSV Eindhoven for the last two years and made more tackles and interceptions combined (169) than any other player in the Eredivisie last season.
Sangare is the type of defensive midfielder that both United and Ten Hag will want, a player who is technically composed within his own half and is intelligent when it comes to carrying out the dirty work for the side. With not many clubs currently interested in the Ivory Coast international, United might be able to complete a deal without letting their focus on capturing de Jong slip.
On the other hand, Sporting Lisbon’s Joao Palhinha is a player who may be seen as more proven and recognised, as he has made almost 100 appearances for his club and has had regular game time for the Portugal national team over the last 12 months. Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo would surely provide strong recommendations of his many qualities to the board.
The 26-year-old is regarded as a pure destroyer, someone more known for his defensive abilities than what he can offer to the side going forward and in the attacking phase. However, he is more than capable of distributing the ball through short passes and direct balls out onto the flanks, as well as using his physicality and positional awareness to dribble out of danger.
Either man would solve a problem which signing de Jong might not. And make no mistake, it is a major problem for United as sides around them strengthen while they stagnate.
Without the presence of a natural holding midfielder in the starting line-up, Ten Hag will have a difficult time in effectively implementing his foundations into the squad and the team will not be picking up the consistent results that they are looking to achieve.
The Red Devils will continue to fail to control and dominate matches, leaving them to fall short in their quest to challenge for the top four once again and instead going through another embarrassing season without silverware.
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