Man Utd make their move to sign a big £86m upgrade on Tchouameni

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will know that Manchester United have one clear priority this summer and that is to sign a new central midfielder.

Last summer, it was about bolstering the forward line but a year on, much of the investment will be made on replacing Casemiro.

If you told United supporters two years ago that the Brazilian would be leaving Old Trafford, they’d have been jumping for joy. It was not long ago that Jamie Carragher gave him a grilling. “Leave the football before the football leaves you” was the famous line.

Alas, the former Real Madrid star stayed in England and has enjoyed a renaissance under Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. Alongside Bruno Fernandes, he has been one of their most important players this term.

So, how do the Red Devils fill the hole left by the veteran midfielder?

Man Utd ramp up their plans to sign big-money midfield player

It did not come as much of a surprise to learn at the back end of last week that Manchester City are in pole position to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Anderson is one of United’s primary targets but given an asking price that could soar to £100m, not many in the Premier League will be able to afford him. City, perhaps, are the only ones right now.

As a result, Jason Wilcox and Co will need to turn their attentions elsewhere and fortunately, their shortlist is actually something of a long list.

On it features Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni while a move could still be made for Brighton star Carlos Baleba with United having reportedly agreed personal terms with the player last summer.

But there’s another face in the Premier League who feels like a better addition and that is Sandro Tonali.

The Newcastle star has been a key target for several months now and according to reports in Italy, a deal is still on the table as far as United are concerned.

Tutto Juve reports that ‘Manchester United have already made their move’ to secure the player as they seek to replace Casemiro.

The news outlet also covers Juventus’ interest in the player but suggests that clubs in England are not set to face much competition from the Old Lady, considering Tonali’s price tag which stands at around £86m.

Another bonus for United is that Newcastle are now ‘ready’ to sell the player, acknowledging that they need to make a big sale this summer.

Why Tonali would be better than Tchouameni

Manchester United’s hunt for a new midfield player this summer may well represent something of a lucky dip. Take your pick and see if it works out.

However, there will be a greater degree of logic here, particularly with some of the transfer fees mooted. Both Tonali and Anderson will cost a pretty penny. Tchouameni would too, with reports noting a £70m asking price if he did leave the Bernabeu behind this summer.

In the Frenchman, they would be landing an elite player. He’s “the best defensive midfielder in the world” according to his former teammate Chema Andres.

Few are better at what he does, ranking in the top 5% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and interceptions this season. However, he is not much of an all-rounder.

While Tonali is not a box-crashing midfielder, there is a sense that he could offer a bit more variety to the central areas alongside Kobbie Mainoo.

The Italian has also earned rave reviews, with Toon reporter Joel Bland describing him as “one of the best midfielders in Europe”. It’s easy to see why. He’s been patrolling the middle of the park exceptionally well for the Mapgies since arriving from Milan.

He may not be as tough in the tackle as Tchoumameni, nor is he a big duel winner. The Italy international is among the worst 20% of midfielders in the Premier League for duels won. However, he radiates composure and will drag his team forward.

Tonali is incredibly press-resistant, drawing 1.52 fouls per 90 minutes, more than the 0.82 Tchouameni wins.

While he may not be a tough-tackling midfielder, he does get through an enormous amount of defensive work. While the French superstar is one of the best defensive midfielders around, Tonali actually registers more defensive contributions per 90 with 9.04 to the 6.22 of Tchouameni.

The big-money Toon star is also more likely to produce a goal-making pass, creating 1.09 chances per 90. In that regard, Tchouameni produces just 0.86.

There is also the Premier League-proven factor to add to the equation here.

United know Tonali would arrive at Old Trafford and settle in immediately, just as the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have done. That alone is probably worth paying an extra couple of quid.

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