Man Utd want to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and they could start next season with a young midfield.
Vitinha and Joao Neves
Vitinha and Joao Neves have proved the quality of Portuguese midfielders
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Portuguese midfielders seem a pretty safe bet at the moment and Manchester United could have two in the centre of the pitch next season if they can pull off a deal for Mateus Fernandes.
Vitinha and Joao Neves are the heart of the best midfield in Europe with Paris St-Germain, while Bruno Fernandes has just had his best season yet back at Old Trafford. Bernardo Silva has left Manchester City after a gilded nine years at the Etihad.
There is so much talent in that area of the pitch for Roberto Martinez to pick from that Mateus Fernandes continues to ply his trade with the Under-21s, despite having an £80million price tag on his head this summer to accompany interest from United, Arsenal and potentially Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old will leave Championship-bound West Ham this summer and although his first two Premier League seasons have ended in relegation, it's clear he will soon be fighting at the opposite end of the table.
Fernandes has proven himself to be a high-quality Premier League midfielder with a significant ceiling. He looks like an all-round prospect and another outstanding passer of the ball.
He isn't a natural defensive midfielder like Casemiro was for most of his career, but he can sit deep and dictate the tempo and United might be building a midfield that is more concerned about what it can do with the ball, rather than the opposition.
PSG have set the template for that, with Fabian Ruiz often accompanying the Portuguese pair. There is no old-school holding midfielder there, but a triumvirate that is brilliant on the ball and capable of playing with collective discipline.
That is a high standard to reach, but if United cement their status as favourites to sign Fernandes by getting a deal over the line, then they could start next season with a pair of 21-year-olds in midfield, with the Portuguese youngster next to Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo is with England at the World Cup at the moment, and at some point during that tournament, he will remind everyone of why he is one of the most technically accomplished midfielders of his generation. Crucially, his out-of-possession work has improved immensely in the last six months.
United have other options in midfield. They have already agreed a deal to sign Ederson and still need to reach an agreement with the Hammers for Fernandes. If Manuel Ugarte is sold, a third central midfielder could be signed.
But there will be plenty of excitement if they go into next season with a midfield of Fernandes and Mainoo, with the elder Fernandes in front of them. That is a technically accomplished midfield.
And that is how the best teams operate now. It is about getting the balance right, but it is also about controlling games and dominating possession. Michael Carrick was the perfect example of that in his playing days.
Now he could field a pair of 21-year-olds in his midfield next season. A partnership that could have the potential to develop into one of the best midfields in Europe.