Manchester United want a new midfielder this summer, with Boca Juniors’ Milton Delgado emerging as a target for Ineos. Here is everything you need to know about him.
This summer, Manchester United have always wanted to sign a new midfielder with Christian Eriksen leaving for free and doubts around Casemiro.
However, Ineos have prioritised the attack, which could leave a strained budget for Jason Wilcox to work with in midfield, and therefore budget options have been emerging.
United have been linked with a £5m Wilfred Ndidi swoop, which would be a deflating addition considering the financial package he would cost in wages.
However, this is where interest in Milton Delgado comes in and appears like a very interesting option.
Milton Delgado in action for Boca Juniors.
Photo by Cesar Heredia/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Manchester United linked with Milton Delgado move
Delgado comes as a fairly unknown name, but one that is highly rated in South America for his performances in the Boca Juniors starting line-up.
These displays have also caught United’s eye. This saw United linked with a move for Delgado over the past few months prior to the Club World Cup; however, there is thought to be heavy competition from Chelsea and Inter Miami.
This leads to early July, and in recent days, Delgado has once again been linked with an Old Trafford move.
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Reports in Argentina have suggested that United are preparing to bid £9m for Delgado in the coming days, which would be an exciting move from the club to secure a new midfielder with bags of potential.
But who is he?
Who is Milton Delgado?
Milton Delgado is a 20-year-old professional midfielder who plays in central midfield for Argentinian club Boca Juniors.
Delgado was born in Rafael Castillo, Argentina, on 16th of June 2005, which is a whopping 16-hour flight away from Old Trafford, meaning it would be a huge move for the youngster.
How tall is Milton Delgado?
One drawback of Delgado in English football would be that he stands at 5ft 5in tall, making him virtually a non-factor in aerial situations.
What type of player is Milton Delgado
Delgado is a defensive midfielder who thrives both on and off the ball, describing himself as a “dynamic, tactically minded player, who loves to steal the ball”, according to The Athletic.
As a midfielder, Delgado does the simple, dirty work in order to benefit his teammates, as he explained that his former manager and former Real Madrid defensive midfielder, Fernando Gago, told him to play this way.
“He asks me to stay close to my teammates, to play simple, fast, forward, to talk and nothing more. That’s what a No. 5 needs to be.”
Delgado’s main qualities are as seen below compared with other players from the best six to 20th leagues in the world.
Pass completion – 88.2% (91st percentile)
Tackles – 3.49 per 90 (94th percentile)
Interceptions – 1.55 per 90 (87th percentile)
If signed, Delgado would likely become an understudy for Manuel Ugarte, given that both are ball winners who are limited on the ball, keeping it simple to give the ball off to more creative teammates.