Manchester United have come storming out of the gate this summer as INEOS prepare for a transfer window which will define their tenure at the club.
With Michael Carrick having secured Champions League qualification – and the permanent head coach role as a result – Old Trafford has regain its rightful status as one of the most attractive destinations in England, given the states of chaos which have engulfed many of United’s rivals this season.
A record-breaking budget is ready to try and make the squad capable of competing capable with Europe’s elite. The priority is a major revamp in midfield, as both Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte are heading towards the exit door, though for conflicting reasons any fan will understand.
A deal has already been struck to sign Atalanta dynamo Ederson, and talks are underway for West Ham starlet Mateus Fernandes to join the Brazilian. A ‘marquee’ No.6 remains on the agenda to replace Casemiro, while a new goalkeeper and striker will likely arrive to provide better depth.
The main source of debate revolves around the left-hand side of the pitch, with United having held talks for both full-backs and wingers. Initially, a new left-winger was believed to be the focus, but this has now shifted towards a left-back – a decision which makes little sense.
Left-Back over Left Wing
Despite a torrid history of injuries, Luke Shaw joined a select list of Red Devils – Harry Maguire, Dennis Irwin, Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce – to start every Premier League match in a single campaign.
The 30-year-old Englishman was desperately unlucky not to be picked by Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup in North America, despite his excellent form and proven track record at major tournaments for the Three Lions.
There is tacit recognition at United that the relaxed schedule this season, with no European football and early exits from the cup competitions, gave Shaw the time to properly recuperate between games – a liberty the team will not be afford next year.
This has led INEOS to target a new left-back to help Carrick manage the former Southampton star’s minutes, while providing a different type of profile from this position as Patrick Dorgu‘s reinvention as a winger is set to continue.
But the 21-year-old Dane possesses virtually every attribute – pace, power, stamina, size, duel-winning ability, link-up play, and rapidly improving crossing – a manager could want from a flying full-back. He has impressed further forward under Carrick, but only because we have not seen him deployed deeper.
If Dorgu was afforded the chance to alternate with Shaw in matches where United expect to dominate with the ball, the likelihood that he would recreate these performances at left-back is high; just with the added bonus of having a more talented attacker – such as Matheus Cunha – playing ahead of him.
Targeting a Superstar
In the absence of an expensive new full-back, funds could be directed further forward. A wide player and a striker are understood to be under consideration, given Joshua Zirkzee has proven an incapable deputy to Benjamin Sesko and Cunha does his best work when cutting inside.
If a left winger was signed, with Zirkzee sold to make room, it would allow Carrick to use Cunha as a centre-forward to rotate with Sesko – a role the 27-year-old Brazilian has filled many times in his career – while adding a more ‘natural’ option out wide.
RB Leipzig speedster Yan Diomande and Aston Villa wizard Morgan Rogers are the primary targets, though competition will prove fierce for either. Liverpool are frontrunners for Diomande, whereas Rogers is believed to be leaning towards Arsenal, fresh from their first title win in 22 years.
This inability to land one of the first-choice options is a blessing in disguise, however, as Paris Saint-Germain are “prepared to offload” Bradley Barcola, according to the Daily Mail, with the European champions boasting an embarrassment of riches in their forward line.
The France international, capable of playing on the left or through the middle, is the perfect candidate to elevate United’s attack to the next level. 13 goals and provided seven assists this season show a player who can function as both a goal-scorer and chance creator.
But this constitutes a downturn in form, given he returned an impressive 21 goas and the same number of assists last season. Being forced to compete with Kravadona and Ousmane Dembele is a competition few players could win, and there is a sense Barcola is ready to assume the role of ‘main man’ if freed from the French capital.
At just 23 years of age, possessing a wealth of experience at the highest levels of club and international football, the Villeurbanne native is the exact profile INEOS should be willing to break from their recent policy of prioritising recruits with Premier League pedigree.
Adding Barcelona to a unit which already contains a versatile cohort, including Cunha, Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount behind frontman Benjamin Sesko, would gift Carrick the type of potent attack that rivals any other side in England, while providing the type of statement signing United fans became accustomed to in the distant era of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Final Thoughts – Pay the Piper
Under the great Scot, attack was the best form of defence. A back-to-back Champions League-winning talisman would be the exact signing Ferguson would be plotting – but it will not come cheap. A fee as high as £130m has been floated, though this is likely posturing, with PSG looking to generate funds in pursuit of an historic three-on-the-bounce in Europe’s elite competition.
The alternative? Target an option like Newcastle’s Lewis Hall at left-back, while leaving Dorgu stationed further forward. This would leave United with a full-back that possesses a far higher level of technique than their winger; a choice which runs antithetical to the pervading wisdom that produces a formidable side capable of dominating proactively, rather than defensively.
Barcola is an expensive outlay, but scarcity drives demand, and demands dictates price. The French magician is a unique talent who rarely becomes available; a player worth breaking the club’s record for in the transfer market. The Red Devils must pay the piper – it will prove a pittance when Carrick wrestles the title from Arteta’s grasp in May.
Featured image Stuart Franklin via Getty Images
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