Manchester United and Crystal Palace are set to compete to sign a highly promising Championship talent in the summer transfer window.
A number of midfielders are set to be leaving Old Trafford this summer, with Manchester United undertaking a much needed squad rebuild going into next season.
Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo are all either confirmed or linked with a move away from United at the end of this season, and with Mason Mount having injury problems, it’s understandable why the club are linked with a number of midfield reinforcements.
This summer, United won’t have a lot of money to throw around, especially with Matheus Cunha’s move to the club is virtually completed with his £62.5 million release clause being activated.
A rumoured £20 million fee for the Championship’s stand-out young player looks to be a great option for United who are looking for bargain players with lots of talent.
United in for Bellingham
With rumours that Jude Bellingham once turned down a move to Old Trafford after there were no assurances of playing time, the Reds are back in for a Bellingham, this time being his 19-year-old brother.
Jobe Bellingham has shone for Sunderland this season, scoring four and providing three assists in 40 Championship appearances from central midfield in what has been his breakout season, and helping Sunderland finish in the play-off places.
According to TBR Football, Sunderland feel like their only chance of keeping their star would be by winning the playoffs, thus gaining promotion to the Premier League.
The report claims that United and Crystal Palace are both ‘eager’ to sign the teenager in the summer. The South London club also believe they have a potential upper-hand in convincing Bellingham of a move.
Palace believe that success stories such as Adam Wharton, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze would appeal to the Sunderland midfielder. In contrast, United have struggled to develop players properly in recent years.
Jobe Bellingham has similar stats to his brother when he got his big move to Borussia Dortmund, who scored four and assisting two for Birmingham at 17 years old.
Are United signing the right profile of player?
In his time managing Sporting Lisbon, Ruben Amorim developed a number of young players to become stars, with the manager’s philosophy being built around promoting the youth.
While Bellingham would be a fantastic signing for the future at United, the club’s awful finish in the Premier League this season means that going into next season, INEOS will be looking for an immediate up-tick in form and comfortable finish within the top eight, so you’d expect the club to prioritise some experienced players.
Amorim’s favoured 3-4-2-1 is one that is tricky to adapt to, with Amorim coaching players through games on a number of times this season, as his players adapt to his favoured style of play. Bellingham’s Sunderland side have utilised the 4-2-3-1 throughout the season, with the England under-21s international having no experience of playing in a three-back formation.
He is still very young, so there is very much the chance that he can be moulded to become Amorim’s ideal player. With Eriksen leaving, United need a new box-to-box midfielder, a position that Bellingham has said he enjoys the most in the past.
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