A Premier League midfielder away at AFCON has revealed his dream transfer move of playing at Manchester United next to Bryan Mbeumo.
Still fresh from the disappointing FA Cup third-round exit to Brighton on Sunday, Manchester United have been given a small piece of newfound optimism.
The return of Michael Carrick has brought about a feel-good factor with some sense of security until the end of the season, as well as his legendary status at the club already enough to get people excited.
Furthermore, with Cameroon and the Ivory Coast both being out of AFCON, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad are set to rejoin the squad, bringing a huge boost to a weakened attack without them.
However, Carrick’s first two games could not be more difficult. First up, a Manchester derby, then a trip to London to face off against the top of the Premier League Arsenal.
Onyeka wants to play for United
The midfield is a clear area of concern for United. Whether it is the profile of players at the club or the lack of depth in the squad, something needs to change.
After being linked to numerous different names throughout the January transfer window, an unlikely name has popped up: Brentford’s Frank Onyeka.
The Nigerian international has been away on AFCON duties, starting three of his country’s games as the Super Eagles have reached the semi-final of the competition.
A video has surfaced of a fan asking the 28-year-old if he would ever play for Manchester United. He said: “Yes, of course, I want to play for Manchester United.”
Much like Bryan Mbeumo, Onyeka was once a mainstay under Thomas Frank in his tenure at Brentford. Still, since returning from a loan move to Augsburg last summer, the midfielder has been restricted to 88 minutes across six appearances in the Premier League under Keith Andrews.
United need midfielders more than ever
While the link to Onyeka may be tenuous, and his admission more of a candid chat with a fan rather than a move away, the lack of other links to other midfielders is a concern.
As of now, the main links are for long-term targets like Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba. This is understandable, as the club looks to avoid repeating the mistakes they have previously made by spending money on players with a short-term view.
However, the lack of squad depth is abundantly clear, and it is even more so with Carrick now taking over. The former United midfielder could be playing in a 4-2-3-1 with three in midfield, rather than Rúben Amorim’s 2-3-5.
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That would mean the return of Bruno Fernandes to his favoured ten role. Therefore, the only three outright midfielders at the club are Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte. Not only is that not enough depth for two positions, but two of those players are of the same profile.
Should anything happen to Mainoo, United would have a midfield two of Casemiro and Ugarte. As seen in the past, the lack of ball progression through the midfield would be clear to see, and with Carrick’s system placing an emphasis on playing through the midfield, there is serious cause for concern.
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