Enzo Fernández: How would he fit at Manchester United?

Enzo Fernández has been linked with a big money transfer to Manchester United.

Joining Benfica for just £10 million in the summer, the Argentine midfielder has taken European football by storm at just 21 years of age. Having watched him in person at a Benfica game earlier this season, he is extremely impressive.

Now having been an integral part of his country’s recent World Cup win, the European elite are circling: but they will have to pay a huge premium for the player. For those who are less familiar with him outside of the World Cup, who is Enzo Fernández and, where could he fit in Erik ten Hag‘s Manchester United side?

Profile

Enzo Fernández is an extremely well-rounded central midfielder. As a passer, there are few better in his position currently. He breaks lines, progresses play effectively, can switch play well, and even play creative passes. His understanding of which passes to play at what time is excellent, and he controls possession very effectively for club and country.

He is comfortable receiving under pressure and can both pass and carry through it, and out of possession, his defensive intelligence and intensity are both fantastic whilst possessing a good tackling technique. He stands at around 5 foot 10 inches, slightly above average, but knows how to use his body effectively both offensively and defensively. To top it off, he knows how to strike a ball from distance.

His role at Benfica and translation to United

For Argentina, he played at the base of a diamond but for club he plays in a double pivot alongside the more defensive-minded Florentino Luis and is not so limited in possession. He leads the Primeira Liga for total passes, long passes, progressive passes, and passes into the final third per 90 minutes with 97.5, 18.1, 12.5 and 9.65 respectively.

He also has 4.92 shot creating actions per 90 in the league this season and 0.25 xAG (expected assisted goals), showcasing his creative quality on top of his controlling & progression qualities (via FBref).

This matches what his role at Manchester United would be quite well: he would be a natural replacement for Christian Eriksen, with Casemiro there to cover for him.

Casemiro would be a natural fit as his partner too. The young midfielder would take charge of United’s possession in the first two phases of play, whilst also being able to contribute in the final third, knowing that the Brazilian will cover for him.

At United currently, Eriksen is United’s primary controller of possession in midfield and is seen in all three phases of play, whether it be dropping into a back three to collect possession, receiving in the midfield line, or pushing higher up into a front six to sustain added pressure on opposition sides and receive between the lines. Enzo fits this role very well, doing similar things for Benfica where he is their primary controller.

The Primeira Liga is a similarly physical and intense league to the Premier League, and having worked under Marcelo Gallardo at River Plate prior to joining Benfica the 21-year-old is no stranger to intensity. Physically, he would have no issues adapting to Premier League football.

Both Benfica and River Plate are high-pressing sides who look to dominate possession and he is a tactically intelligent player so can drop straight into Ten Hag’s United in line with his long-term vision. Ten Hag has been known to adapt when needed, and the Argentina side that just won the World Cup were a very tactically flexible side. So in this aspect, he would be fine.

Final Verdict

The fees quoted have been extremely high, and whether or not United can actually afford it right now is one thing. But what is clear is that there are few, if any, better players in Enzo Fernández’s position that Manchester United can obtain.

His fit for the side is perfect and he’d be a good partner for Casemiro, who is arguably United’s best player at the moment, and would be further enhanced by this.

Aged just 21, he would be a long-term option for United too and someone that can form part of a long-term core for Ten Hag. The squad contains many Spanish/Portuguese speakers to help him settle in too. If United can negotiate the price down slightly, he is one of the best signings the club could possibly make in any position, and we all know United fans love a South American.