Manchester United need to sign a midfielder, and trust Kobbie Mainoo while they’re at it
Manchester United cannot, and more importantly, should not, pass up the opportunity to sign a midfielder this summer. Carlos Baleba was the prime target. That much has been made magnanimously clear, but failure to land the class Cameroonian should not end United’s important search for another body in the middle of the park.
Fans in the stadium saw the issues in midfield on Sunday against Arsenal despite the impressive overall performance and lamented the need for another more physical presence to join the ranks at the club before the deadline. Links have begun to ramp up to the likes of Morten Hjumland, who the manager Ruben Amorim will know well, but many have been left underwhelmed by that type of target. Adam Wharton is someone that adds a glint in the eyes of United fans, but his price is likely to be too high of a bridge for United to meet within this window, despite their clear admiration.
Can’t be Baleba or bust for United
It’s of course understandable that United admire Baleba above everyone else, and they may be aiming to move in the same manner Liverpool have done in the past. The Reds from Merseyside always waited until the target they believed in was on the market and available for them to move in for and would decide against moving if they could not get them. But Manchester United are not in the same situation FSG and Liverpool were in during those seasons. Ruben Amorim’s side finished 15th last season, and there are other midfielders who could improve this football team significantly on the market at this moment in time, and they are not only named Carlos Baleba.
A signing like Lucien Agoume, who has a rumoured release clause of £35m, makes a lot more sense for United if Baleba was indeed their primary target. Agoume, previously of Inter, matches the high-intensity physical profile Amorim has been demanding since he stepped through the doors at Old Trafford last November, replacing Erik ten Hag at the time.
Agoume, or a player like Lamine Camara, who is making a steady name for himself at Monaco alongside former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, are two absolute certainties that need to be on the list internally at the club. Sources from Sevilla are suggesting United have made moves towards Agoume, but nothing of any sort of concrete nature backs up those claims at this stage, which is a worry.
Camara has been the subject of public interest in the past, particularly from Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Many felt at the time that interest from Spurs could spark a bidding war for Camara, but that has yet to happen. Liverpool and Manchester City were at times rumoured to be among the clubs who could join that bidding war, but nothing clear has moved in that direction as things stand. At the moment, speaking to those close to Camara, there are no indications of an impending move away from Monaco, at least not to Manchester, as of yet.
The lack of clear interest in his signature from elsewhere however at the moment could, and should, prompt Manchester United to move in. Tijjani Reijnders signing for Manchester City this summer has proved clubs do not need to spend £100m to add a new dynamic into their midfield, and that’s a mantra the Reds need to follow in the remaining days of the window. It’s of paramount importance that United add a midfielder. Neither of the partnerships in that position at the club at the moment complement each other, and that’s a recipe for disaster at a club aiming to finish in the top six places this season.
Ederson from Atalanta has been a long-time target, and recently within his agency his case has changed hands, with someone else dealing with his future than would have been the case previously. While this may not mean much, it could point towards something potentially brewing regarding his future. Whether that future concerns Manchester United remains to be seen, but he has been on the club’s list for some time.
There is value on the market, and there are profiles that suit the team better then some of the partnerships on show at the moment. United need to trust their data, use the guidance of their scouts, and find a well-known gem or an uncovered one if possible before September 1st.
Mainoo’s situation and trusting Carrington
Kobbie Mainoo and his absence from the team on a weekly basis is becoming a worry, as there almost needs to be a space within a team for a player with that talent, regardless of the system being deployed on any given day. Mainoo is a generational talent, and failure to utilise a talent like that and implement his skills into your lineup could lead to a situation similar to what City have had with Cole Palmer.
Manchester United need to trust the academy more in general. Their failure to do so in recent seasons has cost them millions of pounds in transfers. Dean Henderson should have been given the number one jersey years ago and trusted to lead the club forward. Even Matej Kovar could have provided a good option for the club, considering the goalkeeping options that have happened since he left.
Radek Vitek could have been trusted within this window. Scott McTominay’s departure has left a huge hole in the centre of the park and in the opposition’s box with his late crashing runs that United have plain and simply failed to fill since he left for Napoli last season. Trust in Carrington has always been the motto, and that should be no different under INEOS in the coming seasons. Learn from the mistakes; do not repeat them again.
This is Kobbie Mainoo we are talking about. The player that made his debut in the cauldron that was Goodison Park on that night after they received a points deduction and looked as if he was down the park with his mates playing a game of two touch. This is a midfielder who rocked up to a place that had banners with the words “Welcome to Hell” in the shape of Galatasaray’s stadium and oozed class and composure. A midfielder who played in a European final with England at just 18 years of age. Kobbie Mainoo is class, and he should not be riding the bench for players who cannot come close to doing what he can do with a football, particularly in a side that struggles to build from defence into midfield.
Onwards and upwards, we hope
INEOS have done well this window. There is no denying that fact. Signing Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha has completely reinvented the front three. Sales need to happen, although in their defence, the fact that United are struggling to sell Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho is not particularly their fault but more so the fault of the Glazers’ reckless use of wages in the past.
However, all the good work may be undone if they do not pull the trigger on a midfielder. Ruben Amorim needs a central midfielder, and if he does not get one, the entire project INEOS are attempting to build may fall by the wayside before it’s even begun.
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