Man Utd line up move to sign £80m England star

With confirmation of Michael Carrick‘s permanent hire as Manchester United manager now a matter of when, not if, the Red Devils can begin to have a serious think about player recruitment this summer.

The word on the street is that Carrick has effectively been working with Jason Wilcox and Co over the last few months as though he were already the permanent head coach.

So, the Red Devils have clearly got a head start, and they will need it considering the size of the midfielder merry-go-round that is set to take place.

Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte are due to leave Old Trafford which will leave a sizeable hole in the engine room at the Theatre of Dreams. That said, many of their key targets are wanted by some of the Premier League‘s elite, chiefly Manchester City and Arsenal.

How Man United plan to attack the summer transfer window

Before anything else, United need to work out whether Elliot Anderson will be attainable.

The England international delivered a virtuoso performance in the middle of the park for Nottingham Forest on Sunday, running rings around United on his way to amassing a ridiculous 110 touches and two assists.

The rumour is that he could cost any willing suitor as much as £100m to prise him away from the City Ground, a figure that has put rivals Man City in pole position to seal his signature.

Anderson is United’s top target but they are likely to have to pivot elsewhere. Sandro Tonali is another big-name target but is reportedly wanted in north London by Mikel Arteta. You sense the club’s pursuit of midfield recruits could be a lengthy saga.

The Forest star is not the only England international Wilcox and Co are said to be targeting. Indeed, according to talkSPORT, Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers is on their radar.

They report that Rogers has attracted the interest of not just United, but also Arsenal and fellow Champions League finalists, PSG.

A fee of £80m is likely to be enough to persuade the Villans into selling their prized asset. That’s not cheap whatsoever and is no doubt designed to ward off any interested parties.

Why Rogers could be Man United’s new Paul Pogba

Built like a boxer but possessing the poise and technique of an elite playmaker, Paul Pogba in his prime was quite a sight.

Rio Ferdinand hailed the midfielder as an “absolute monster” of a player while Graeme Souness noted that he “can leap like a stag and run like the wind.” He had the most incredible running power, immense physicality, and he loved popping up with a goal.

While it all ended in tears for the Frenchman at Old Trafford, the World Cup winner is fondly remembered for his lung-busting runs that usually always ended in something magical happening.

During his time at United, the France superstar scored 30 times and picked up another 51 assists. Whether he lived up to an £89m price tag is a debate for another day, but he was certainly a remarkable player.

In Rogers, they could finally replace some of Pogba’s best qualities. Sure, the former United man was more of a deeper midfielder and Rogers is more of an attacking midfielder or winger, but there are plenty of similarities.

Dean Saunders once outlined him as being a “very strong and powerful runner”, words that certainly align with Pogba. United boss Carrick knows all about him too after having the player at Middlesbrough. That could bode well in any negotiations, perhaps even making them favourites should he move.

Speaking about the England international earlier this season, the interim boss said: “You could always see what he was possibly going to be capable of and the potential in terms of his attributes, the way he carries the ball, he can play off his left foot, play off his right foot, create and score goals and really good athletically.”

So, why do United need him when they’ve already got Bruno Fernandes? Well, aged 31, he’s not going to be around forever and there has been an overreliance on the playmaker this term. While the skipper has 22 assists, the next best player in that regard is Matheus Cunha with four.

Rogers could help solve that. This season, the 23-year-old has 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. Last term, en route to winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award, the former Manchester City academy star provided 16 assists and 14 goals in 54 breakout games at the highest level. As journalist Graeme Bailey labelled him, he really is already “world-class”.

Like Pogba, he’s more than capable of chipping in with goals and assists on a regular basis and like Pogba, his running style is particularly aggressive. In Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the top 22% of positionally similar players for progressive actions with 6.23 per 90 minutes.

It really does feel like a matter of time before Rogers moves away from Villa and who better to play under than Carrick, a man who has already had a huge part in the attacking midfielder’s development.