Two Midfielders Manchester United Need To Sign Right Now
It’s fair to say that right now Manchester United are in an absolutely dire position. Their top target, Frenkie de Jong who they’ve spent nearly three months working on a deal for, is unlikely to join the club. The opening fixture to Brighton at Old Trafford was embarrassing, as the Red Devils were spectacularly downed 2–1.
What United fans and more importantly their new manager Erik ten Hag would’ve expected from the Glazer ownership and the board, was for his targets to be delivered well and truly before now. But they haven’t. Now it is really squeaky bum time, as United are scrambling to try and find alternative signings, none of which would appease ten Hag or the wider United community.
Over the last 24 to 48 hours, United have been linked with a host of players including former West Ham striker Marko Arnautović and Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, where the latter is edging closer to a move to Old Trafford according to various reports.
However, in light of some of these reports, two names have stuck out to many United fans, with one, in particular, catching the eye in Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić and the other being Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodríguez.
Now for non-United fans who are questioning why the club is scrambling to find that many midfield options, the answer is pretty simple. Both Scott McTominay and Fred proved to the entire Premier League that it doesn’t matter who the manager is, their technical ability is absolutely woeful.
While a section of United fans are not happy with those two players due to agendas, the main reasons why many dislike both is due to their statistical output as well as their on-field actions.
The game against Brighton highlighted multiple situations where neither of those players displayed high enough levels of discipline, composure or technical prowess that is needed to be considered a ‘Manchester United player’.
There was one situation in the first half where United were building from the back and Fred, without even looking, aimlessly tried to play the ball to Diogo Dalot, which Leandro Trossard intercepted. If it wasn’t for a quick recovery from Fred, it would’ve been a certain goal.
As for McTominay, he is easily one of the most limited midfielders in the Premier League. He gained the nickname of ‘Scott McSideways’ over the last few years due to his tendency to make very safe and cautious passes.
In the game against Brighton, there was one situation where McTominay had the ball in a promising position outside the box with many players making forward runs beyond him. A few seconds later, his poor touch caused him to lunge and follow through quite badly on Moisés Caicedo, which saw him get booked.
So it’s quite clear to see that if United are to have any chance of making the top 6, let alone Champions League qualification, they’ll need to bring in quality midfielders as soon as possible. It’s evident that the club are panicking with their options, but what they really need to do is knuckle down and work on deals simultaneously for Milinković-Savić and Rodríguez.
Those two would drastically change the fortunes of United if they were to make the move from their respective clubs to Old Trafford in the next few days or weeks.
First of all, what’s fundamentally clear for Erik ten Hag and more specifically his midfield, is that the roles are pre-determined and the players must have the right technical qualities to fulfil those positions.
In a very basic and simplistic explanation, there are three key areas to his midfield;
- The ‘6’ (or the CDM), receives the ball from the back four and distributes it to players in advanced positions
- The ‘8’ (or the CM), progresses the ball either through carries or passes to advanced positions and/or players
- The ‘10’ (or the CAM), has the main responsibility of creating from attacking areas and linking up with his wingers and striker
In the game against Brighton, Fred was the 6, Scott McTominay was the 8 and Bruno Fernandes was the 10. All three were nowhere near good enough, however, with Fernandes, there is quality there and can be worked on over time.
But as I mentioned with Fred and McTominay, those two were shambolic and will offer next to nothing positive for Erik ten Hag.
David de Gea, who has been under fire due to his poor distribution abilities, completed more of his passes (21, 87.5%) than Scott McTominay (19, 67.9%). That’s ridiculously embarrassing for a central midfielder.
As for Fred, he won 0 of his duels (aerial or ground), 0 take on’s completed, 0 key passes, was dribbled past twice and lost possession 9 times.
When I say it’s desperate times for United, it really is that.
But onto a more optimistic outlook, the possibility of both Milinković-Savić and Rodríguez playing for United this season would be incredible, should the deals come to fruition.
According to reports in Italy, Sergej Milinković-Savić is keen on a move to Manchester United and a deal could be completed for as little as £55 million, which is a very good deal given the season he had for Lazio.
It’s more than fair to say that the Serbian international had an outstanding season from central midfield, as he scored 11 goals and notched up 11 assists in 37 games in the Serie A last season.
His stamina, athleticism and physicality are admirable traits and would see him suit the Premier League to a tee.
He’s got the capability to perform defensive actions in and around his own box but also make lung-bursting runs into the opposition’s penalty area and get on the end of crosses.
His distribution has been one of his key elements this season, as he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top 5 leagues for progressive passes received (6.22 per 90).
Below are some of his top statistics from the Serie A last season:
- 21st for Goals scored, 11
- 5th for Assists, 11
- 19th for Big chances, 39
- 34th for Expected Goals (xG), 7.38
For me, the 27-year-old could transform United’s midfield and provide terrific physical and technical qualities that could be a huge boost for this season.
In terms of his suitability to ten Hag’s system, he would be excellent. Operating as that ‘8’, where he would progress the ball through the thirds either through his carries or expansive passing range, he would be very difficult to stop.
As for Guido Rodríguez, he is an unknown quantity to a point given how unfamiliar he is to most football fans due to his lack of exposure in Europe. However, he shouldn’t be underestimated as he has been very solid for Real Betis over the last two seasons.
The Argentine is an imposing figure and bares a slight resemblance to former United midfielder, Nemanja Matić due to how he moves across the pitch.
His physicality and intelligence make it very tricky for attackers to get past him, as he’s capable of positioning himself in good areas to win the ball back for his team.
When characterising where Rodríguez’s strengths are, it would be his ability to win 1v1 situations against attackers, his timing in defensive situations with tackles and his judgement when it comes to closing the available space for an advancing attacker.
In possession, the 28-year-old maybe isn’t the most gifted midfielder in that area however he is more than capable of spreading the ball from either side or receiving the ball under pressure, depending on the situation.
Below are some of his top areas from La Liga last season:
- 6th for Tackles, 167
- 7th for Successful Tackles, 89
- 17th for Completed Passes in the Final Third, 81.72%
- 23rd for Interceptions, 176
Now, the ‘6’ role would benefit Rodríguez’s strengths and would add further steel to ten Hag’s midfield.
In terms of a possible fee, the reports in Spain have indicated that a fee of around £15–20 million should be enough to secure the services of the Argentinian.
So to conclude, United’s current predicament concerning their recruitment and more specifically, their midfield, has seen the club begin to panic over the last 48 hours. However, what they need to ensure is that they can secure deals for both Guido Rodríguez and Sergej Milinković-Savić.
With a possible deal for Frenkie de Jong looking more unlikely by the day and the current midfield options being woeful, ten Hag needs new players as soon as possible if he is to have any hope of making this broken team great again.
