Manchester United have reportedly added Lazio’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to their midfield shortlist for the summer.
The Premier League club has effectively wrapped up their first summer signing after reaching a £30 million agreement with Atalanta for Ederson.
However, Jason Wilcox and Co. still have another two midfield slots to fill after releasing Casemiro and placing Manuel Ugarte on the shortlist.
Man Utd monitoring Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
On Wednesday, Sky Sports’ journalists and correspondents provided a panoramic analysis of Man Utd’s transfer plans, with the midfield revamp taking centre stage.
The source reiterated the club’s interest in the likes of Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, and Carlos Baleba, insisting that the price tag remains the main obstacle in each of the three cases.
Therefore, Sky reveals an alternative track that would lead to Dele-Bashiru, a 25-year-old Nigerian international who rose through the ranks of Manchester City. The report claims that the latter is on United’s wish list.
After leaving City’s academy, the Lagos native had a three-year experience at Sheffield Wednesday before being released in 2023. Dele-Bashiru put his career back on track with a remarkable campaign with Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor, which earned him a transfer to Lazio in the summer of 2024.
The Nigerian only cost the Biancocelesti €5 million, and Transfermarkt estimates his current value at €6 million. Lazio president Claudio Lotito would request a larger figure, but it certainly wouldn’t come anywhere near the asking prices of Man Utd’s other targets mentioned above.
Is Dele-Bashiru good enough for Man United?
In his two years at Lazio, Dele-Bashiru has produced occasional flashes of brilliance, but the club’s supporters would tell you they were too few and far between. His stats show seven goals and four assists in 57 appearances, with the majority coming off the bench.
When he first arrived at the Italian capital side, the Nigerian caught the eye of his strong physical skills, but then-Lazio head coach Marco Baroni had urged him to improve his tactical awareness.
“Dele-Bashiru has great potential. He is a lad who must understand our football and to do so he must train and play,” said Baroni in August 2024 (via The Laziali).
“He has to improve his posture, he is often closed down by the opposition who don’t give him the chance to drive forward. But when he opens his shoulder, he is devastating.
“He has to become a ball-winner, but it’s not easy. It’s a complete upheaval, but he made an extraordinary contribution.”
Percentiles Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes
F. Dele-Bashiru 9.5 7.7 36.8 4.4 91.0 35.2 0.9 1324
E. Anderson 68.7 92.3 51.8 94.7 77.1 66.4 95.4 3662
85.9 87.3 46.1 11.3 9.5 15.0 9.0 1793
Mateus Fernandes 82.4 83.5 58.3 60.4 74.5 55.5 64.6 3302
(Stats by DataMB)
Although he has made some improvements over the past two seasons, Dele-Bashiru still hasn’t reached the required level, as neither Baroni nor his successor, Maurizio Sarri, gave him a starting role.
Nevertheless, one could argue that the Nigerian is simply not cut out for the tactically nuanced Italian football and would instead find a natural habitat by returning to England.
So while recruiting Dele-Bashiru would be a risky move for Man Utd (from a sporting perspective, if not financial), perhaps Christopher Vivell and the scouting team have a vision in mind.
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been passionately following Man United for over 20 years. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Utd Report, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali has been a Featured Writer on other websites including Juve FC, and The Cult of Calcio, and Stretty News.
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