Manchester United are about to have a midfield problem, and while Elliot Anderson is one target, the need for a second midfielder is redundant because of two gems in the Ineos system.
Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s poor form at Man Utd have made it so that the club will enter the summer window with a gaping hole.
Elliot Anderson is obviously the dream, but United’s needs might go beyond him if they are to target a full overhaul, especially if they reach the Champions League.
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However, instead of buying another midfielder, they would do well to roll the dice on two internal anchors already in the Ineos system.
Cristian Orozco playing for Colombia at the under-17s World Cup
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Man Utd must platform Sekou Kone and Cristian Orozco
Since the combative Elliot Anderson is their primary target, United have been linked to a more ball-playing profile as their second midfield target.
That led to Sandro Tonali links, the Newcastle midfielder whose name propped up alongside Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton.
However, if United go chasing two £100m midfielders, it would go directly against Ineos’ philosophy of finding the next superstar instead of chasing established ones.
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In Sekou Kone and Cristian Orozco, they have those potential superstars already in the system.
Kone is at Ineos-owned FC Lausanne for his first taste of senior football after undergoing a remarkable transformation in pre-season.
At 20, he should be itching to make an impact in the first team, especially if his Lausanne loan goes well.
The picture is even rosier for Orozco, the Colombia U17 captain who recently debuted for Fortaleza in his home country.
He’s set to arrive at Old Trafford in July, and is exactly the kind of player United missed out on in recent years, like Moises Caicedo or Erling Haaland.
Instead of buying two £100m midfielders and blocking their path, United must roll the dice on the duo in pre-season, and whoever impresses should be integrated in the first-team setup right away.
Orozco and Kone can set the tone, which Sandro Tonali fails to do
Giving Kone and Orozco a chance before spending £100m on a second midfielder isn’t just sound financial and sporting advice, but it also provides a structural advantage.
Do you agree with Ineos’ recruitment model of signing wonderkids?
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So far, United have done a good job under Ineos of recruiting young players, but they have fluffed their management.
Diego Leon lags behind Tyrell Malacia in the U21s setup. Kone has his first taste of European football at 20, and Chido Obi went back to academy football this season, and other players like Hubert Graczyk, haven’t panned out.
By platforming Orozco and Kone in pre-season instead of going for Tonali, United can send a message to future signings that they don’t hoard young players.
If they don’t give them an opportunity and a pathway to senior football, youngsters will eventually stop choosing Old Trafford as their preferred destination.
Giving Orozco and Kone a genuine first-team chance is no longer a preferred path, it’s absolutely necessary to preserve the club’s image in the minds of the next wave of wonderkids.
It just so happens that it can save United £100m in the transfer market in the process. A no-brainer move.
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