Man Utd looking at “one of the best 6s in world football”

It’s hard to quibble with Manchester United‘s recruitment in 2025, although one issue was the decision not to bring in a new midfielder, a choice that has perhaps come back to bite them.

Manuel Ugarte’s injury woes could not have been foreseen then, yet Casemiro’s 2026 exit always looked inevitable, ensuring INEOS have now been left to recruit multiple midfield signings in the same summer.

They aren’t alone in looking to the engine room, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur also making marquee moves of their own, yet no other elite club appears in need of the same level of overhaul as United do.

Thankfully, a hectic last few days has seen the Red Devils wrap up deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans with relatively little fuss, while they could now look to France for the next target on the midfield conveyor belt.

Why Man Utd are interested in France’s Manu Kone

With the deal to bring Ederson to Old Trafford having hit the skids, United have pivoted toward a string of other options instead, including Roma star, Manu Kone.

A bid for the Frenchman might well be in the works by all accounts, the 25-year-old having certainly enhanced his reputation amid a fine World Cup under Didier Deschamps’ watch.

It wasn’t exactly a fitting end to the tournament for Kone and co following their comprehensive defeat to Spain, yet Les Bleus had looked so devastating beforehand, with the powerhouse midfielder central to that.

Filling in for Aurelien Tchouameni on occasion this summer, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man looked like “France’s best midfielder“, in the view of Patrick Vieira, notably boasting a stellar 92% pass accuracy rate across his five tournament outings.

Last season too, for instance, he notably impressed with regard to his ball-carrying prowess, ranking in the top 7% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for carries into the final third per 90, as well as within the top 20% for both productive dribbles and successful dribbles.

He scored and assisted five goals in Serie A, as Roma secured a Champions League berth, having contributed three goals and assists in his debut season at the Stadio Olimpico the year prior.

Kone is something of an all-rounder then, someone who could nicely complement Michael Carrick‘s current options back in Manchester. And yet, he’s not the only option under consideration.

How Man Utd could sign an upgrade on Manu Kone

In Santos, Carrick and co appear to have been impressed by the Brazilian’s versatility and athleticism, while the 22-year-old also showcased his eye for goal while out on loan at Strasbourg in 2024/25, having scored ten Ligue 1 goals that season.

As for Tielemans, the 29-year-old – who has been handed a five-year deal – is such a classy operator in a deep-lying number eight role, the man who can punch passes into those ahead of him with speed and precision.

Plenty to like about both men then, although neither truly looks like the genuine replacement for Casemiro in that number six berth, with the third midfielder likely to be someone who can fill that void.

As noted by Fabrizio Romano – speaking on his YouTube channel – one player United are looking at in that sense is Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, alongside the aforementioned Kone.

A deal doesn’t appear likely at this stage, yet much could depend on what the new Jose Mourinho regime could look like at Madrid, while the impending new deal for Tchouameni might also play a part in determining Camavinga’s future.

If United were to strike a deal for the former Rennes starlet, they might even be securing an upgrade on Kone, not least considering Camavinga is arguably “one of the best No.6’s in world football“, in the view of journalist Harvey Diamonds.

Now, the 23-year-old was actually left out of Deschamps’ World Cup squad, having fallen behind Kone and co, but that shouldn’t detract from just what a talent he is, having shown so much already at such a young age.

While Kone is yet to feature at all at Champions League level, Camavinga has won the competition twice at Madrid, having moved to the Bernabeu from France as a teenager back in 2021.

After making 88 appearances for Rennes, the left-footer has since made 223 for Los Blancos, already proving himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world. In Kone’s case, his own rise in France at Toulouse has been followed by less notable spells in Germany and Italy.

Camavinga boasts the bigger pedigree, and arguably the greater quality in terms of what United are looking for, having been so effective as a ball-winning midfielder for Madrid.

Indeed, the versatile talent – who can also operate at left-back – ranks in the top 5% for tackles and interceptions per 90, as well as in the top 1% for defensive ground duels won per 90.

Kone, for comparison, ranks in just the top 45% and the top 47% for those same two metrics, respectively.

The latter man might be an innate ball-carrier, but it is Camavinga who is more adept at threading passes from deep, having bettered his compatriot in terms of passes into the final third per 90 (top 5% vs top 29%).

At a time when United are waiting for that really marquee midfield signing, after smart but unspectacular deals for Santos and Tielemans, Camavinga might well be it.