It’s the summer of the midfielder, none more so than for Manchester United, but the real cream of the crop are unlikely to be in the Premier League next season.
The World Cup’s best player, Rodri, is heading to Barcelona, by all accounts, while England’s summer superstar, Jude Bellingham, is already in Spain at Real Madrid.
£100m has been splashed out on Sandro Tonali. £116m saw Manchester City snap up Elliot Anderson. Just imagine how much Bellingham might cost in the current market?
Alas, the 23-year-old is going nowhere fast, while for those at Old Trafford, the wait goes on to see if a third midfielder will be added, following the prior captures of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
Why Man Utd should be getting excited about Santos and Tielemans
There have been positives regarding the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Joshua Zirkzee over pre-season so far, but it’s hard to look past Santos as the summer’s shining light.
Signed for £50m from Chelsea, a deal that came out of the Blue, if you will, the Brazilian has been so effective in that deep-lying midfield role, receiving hefty praise from manager Michael Carrick this week.
“Andrey, for such a young man to come in the way he’s come in, his character, his personality is a dream,” Carrick said. “He’s so positive, so mature, so switched on; he wants to learn. He comes in straight away and he’s trying to help other players and communicate in games.”
The 22-year-old is quietly raising his profile already in Manchester, while tongues are wagging over the early impact of Tielemans, not least his blossoming partnership with Bruno Fernandes.
Not to beat around the bush, Fernandes hasn’t always had the most technical midfield unit to work with – looking at you Fred, Manuel Ugarte and Sofyan Amrabat – but the Belgian already looks a cut above, memorably sweeping a delightful, left-footed pass out to Noussair Mazraoui against Leeds United in midweek.
At every available opportunity, the 29-year-old seeks to pass forward, with Carrick’s fingerprints all over this team and these transfers already, having himself been a master at the swift, probing pass from central midfield.
For £35m, United might well have snagged the steal of the summer, bringing in a man of vast experience and of genuinely elite technical quality. The next midfield arrival could well have the perfect tutor to work with.
Man Utd look to be closing in on third midfield signing
Having moved to sign Santos and Tielemans without much fuss or noise, it’s since been a muted month on the transfer front at Carrington, with supporters starting to get a little twitchy over the lack of action.
|
Santos vs Tielemans – 25/26 PL |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Santos |
Stat (*per game) |
Tielemans |
|
27 (13) |
Games (starts) |
25 (21) |
|
1 |
Goals |
0 |
|
0 |
Assists |
4 |
|
1 |
Big chances created |
5 |
|
0.3 |
Key passes* |
1.3 |
|
90% |
Pass accuracy* |
85% |
|
1.4 |
Tackles* |
2.3 |
|
0.7 |
Interceptions* |
0.7 |
|
0.07 |
Succ. dribbles* |
0.4 |
|
3.7 |
Ball lost* |
10.2 |
Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall remains a leading target at left-back, with the Englishman’s ability to move into midfield also an attractive prospect, as it is for Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Whether the Gunners actually sanction the 19-year-old’s sale remains to be seen, while elsewhere, the two Premier League rivals could be going head to head for the same, standout target.
Speaking on the United Stand YouTube channel, journalist Ben Jacobs provided the latest on the club’s pursuit of Leicester City teenager, Louis Page, with the Red Devils said to be “ahead of Arsenal” in the battle for his signature.
“And it feels, according to sources, like this is Man United versus Arsenal for the player who’s a top top talent. Manchester United are considered to be ahead of Arsenal as it stands. So there is a realistic chance that this one gets done as well.”
This corroborates prior claims which suggested that the 18-year-old was favouring a move to Manchester, with there a deal seemingly there to be done following Leicester’s drop into the third tier.
Now, this might not be the headline, marquee name some are craving, but even at 18, there’s plenty to like about what Page brings to the table, having already made just over 20 first-team appearances for the Foxes.
There is a widely held view that this is the ‘next Jude Bellingham’ in the making, and it’s clear to see why, with Page another rising English midfield star who has already blossomed in the Championship.
In Bellingham’s case, United rolled out the red carpet to try and seal a deal for the then-17-year-old in 2020, following a breakout year with Birmingham City in the second tier, only for the in-demand talent to head off to Borussia Dortmund instead.
Hopefully, the Old Trafford side aren’t left hanging again this summer, with Page a real prospect, it must be said, mirroring Bellingham as an elegant, yet powerhouse midfielder who can operate in a range of different roles.
Comfortable both in a deep-lying role or when crashing the box, the 6 foot sensation made 18 Championship appearances last term, while notably losing the ball just 5.4 times per game, a fine example of his innate composure and ability to retain possession.
In Bellingham style, Page simply glides his way up the pitch, a pure natural talent who could well relish the opportunity to flourish under Carrick’s watch – provided Mikel Arteta and Arsenal don’t get there first, of course.
INEOS have already showcased their desire to pluck the best young English talent, be it Ayden Heaven or Tynan Thompson – can Page be the next?
