Manchester United need to re-evaluate their midfield and there is one Premier League player who stands out
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will already be eyeing an overhaul of his midfield in the not too distant future
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will already be eyeing an overhaul of his midfield in the not too distant future
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Manchester United entered the previous summer transfer window with a clear goal in mind.
United were floundering without a reliable goalscoring threat last season and Ruben Amorim made it his mission to address that position. And he has seemingly managed to fix that issue with his signings.
Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all arrived with varying degrees of reliability in front of goal. Cunha and Mbeumo bolstered the No.10 position while Sesko seemed to be an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund.
By the time those deals were done though, United had very little time or money to sort their midfield. While it was not in as big a mess as the attack, it needed attention and is already proving to be an issue this campaign.
Bruno Fernandes is not at his best in a deeper role and Casemiro is not a long-term option for defensive midfield. Manuel Ugarte has underwhelmed while the reliance on Fernandes further back has seemingly pushed Kobbie Mainoo towards the exit door.
Come the summer, if not before, United are going to have a major overhaul of their midfield. There are already question marks as to whether Fernandes will leave for the Saudi Pro League, Casemiro will not be offered a new deal, while Mainoo may be sick of waiting for his opportunity.
Therefore, United must start planning now. Fortunately, one midfielder who could be ideal for the Reds, may also be looking for a fresh chapter come next summer.
Adam Wharton has impressed since moving to Crystal Palace and over the weekend it was reported that the 21-year-old is on United's radar for the summer transfer window. It has been suggested a £60m bid is being readied which the Reds feel would be enough to persuade Palace to sell.
This feels to be on the cheaper side but, even if that was the case, United have been told in the past 24 hours what they will need to accompany that offer. "I think Adam at some point will want to play either in the Champions League with us - if we can make that happen - or probably with another club," Palace chairman Steve Parish explained on talkSPORT.
"He’s an extraordinary talent. I think he’s very committed to the club. If Manchester United want Adam Wharton, there’s nothing really surprising about that. The fact of the matter is, he’s got a long contract to run."
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is a man in demand with the next summer transfer window in mind
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is a man in demand with the next summer transfer window in mind
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Ultimately, Parish's admission there is United's biggest problem as they look to tempt Wharton to Old Trafford. While United still have the pull of being one of the biggest clubs in the world, they currently do not have the sporting pedigree to back that claim up.
Once the summer window opens, plenty of teams in the Premier League, and perhaps further afield, will be vying for Wharton's signature. Most will be Champions League clubs and if United do not have that, they can probably kiss goodbye to their hopes of signing the former Blackburn Rovers man.
Every year without Champions League football diminishes the appeal of joining United that little bit more. That's why it is imperative that Amorim oversees a quick turnaround in form this season to ensure that the Reds are not scrambling around at third and fourth choice options to strengthen their midfield by July.