Manchester United are set to make a third midfield signing to complete their midfield rebuild.
Having already secured Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, who are both technically gifted operators, the club now need a complementary figure to balance the midfield equation.
The perfect third midfielder signing
Looking at the duo, the main concern is probably their defensive side of the game, and there is also a question mark over their height.
Therefore, United’s third midfield signing needs to be a defensive-minded player with a knack for winning aerial duels.
Manchester United offered chance to strike £17m deal for Danilo
According to Fabrizio Romano, Botafogo’s Danilo Santos was offered to United as their third midfielder signing, with his £17 million release clause making him a tempting option.
Yet the Old Trafford chiefs declined, insisting they have “different targets.”
It is an interesting stance given Danilo’s form. Once packaged as a defensive midfielder during his Premier League spell, he returned to Brazil and reinvented himself as an all-rounder.
Before the World Cup, he had produced seven goals and two assists in just 12 games, numbers that underline his evolution.
Why Manchester United really turned down a chance to sign Danilo
However complete he might now seem, Scoutlab’s analysis explains why a move for Danilo does not entice INEOS.
The Samba star will not offer United anything that Tielemans and Santos cannot already provide. Moreover, he struggles to win aerial duels, with his defensive work ranking in the bottom 18% of all central midfielders.
Given those glaring struggles, it is clear why United, driven by their data-focused transfer approach, are ready to miss out on this bargain Botafogo raid.
That said, passing up the chance to sign the former Nottingham Forest man should not be a significant blow to the Red Devils. Furthermore, they are linked with other outstanding central midfielders like Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné, either of whom may prove a better signing than Danilo.
Featured image Michael Owens via Getty Images
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