Manchester United’s summer midfield recruitment plans are still undetermined. However, Adam Wharton’s place on the list should be in serious doubt, considering Jim Thwaites has a very similar profile.
With Casemiro’s impending departure from Manchester United this coming summer, it will take someone very special to replace him in the starting line-up.
United are looking at numerous options, one of which is Crystal Palace star, Adam Wharton. However, the young Blackburn native has had an underwhelming campaign, and he’s probably played his way down the list.
Wharton shouldn’t be signed by United, given his unsuitability next to Kobbie Mainoo. But also, the club has a version of him already coming through the ranks.
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Elliot Anderson knee slide for Nottingham Forest.
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Jim Thwaites with Benjamin Sesko during Manchester United Training Session.
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Jim Thwaites can be Manchester United’s own version of Adam Wharton
As a midfielder, Wharton is a specialist in passing and would be well-suited to a team intent on dominating possession, which is why he is way better than his role in the Palace 3-4-3 counter-attacking system shows.
However, his profile as a midfielder is not unique, and to fill the role of a possession-minded midfielder, United already has Jim Thwaites, who is more than ready to claim a place in the squad.
Thwaites is similar to Wharton in regards to his passing, vision, intelligence, and the areas of the pitch they both want to occupy. This likely means signing Wharton would leave Thwaites in the cold, without a place and pathway to break through into the first team.
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This cannot be allowed, with Thwaites having the potential to become a star in the Premier League based on his technical ability and also set-piece delivery, which is more important than ever. Blocking his pathway could see another James Garner situation emerge, where we are left ruing the club’s lack of belief in the academy.
Thwaites, therefore, needs to be considered in the club’s planning for the future, and the summer should take this into account, with the midfield addition being a different style, with Thwaites getting a role in the squad.
Because just like Wharton, Thwaites’ weakness is probably his athleticism and physicality, which can allow the game to sometimes pass him by out of possession. So, signing a Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes and then having Thwaites behind them as something different is the right option.
Thwaites has the good and bad of Wharton, but has the potential to be even better, with his edge in ball striking and also a greater intensity in the tackle, even if he is often unsuccessful.
Which player does Jim Thwaites remind you of?
Do you think he will make it in the first team at Man Utd?
Jim Thwaites graphic
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Thwaites impresses during FA Youth Cup quarter-final
On Wednesday night, Thwaites was playing at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup as United claimed a 3-2 win after coming from behind.
United’s forwards claimed the headlines, but Thwaites put in a really solid midfield showing, dictating play and progressing the ball really well throughout.
This performance came in front of Michael Carrick, Jason Wilcox, and plenty more influential figures at the club who will be deciding the summer transfer strategy.
Thwaites has more than proven himself ready to be that fifth man in the midfield department next season, and he offers something United would be spending £65m on Wharton for otherwise.
Carrick should give Thwaites minutes over the remainder of this season to gauge his readiness for next season.
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