Manchester United are eyeing a Premier League central midfielder to replace Casemiro after Liverpool cooled their interest in the star.
Manchester United’s midfield troubles seem to have gone on as long as the managerial madness. The current head coach, Michael Carrick, was the last stable defensive midfielder at Old Trafford, not counting the six months of Casemiro’s excellence under Erik ten Hag.
While Rúben Amorim’s sacking has thrown transfer business into doubt, United have reportedly already submitted an opening offer for one transfer target.
Carrick’s impressive first game during his second stint as United head coach may have given Jason Wilcox the encouragement he needs to bring in some new additions this summer to bolster the charge for a Champions League finish at the end of the season.
Omar Berrada and the rest of the board are unlikely to make a firm decision on Carrick’s future just yet, so any signings made must be looking at the long-term, as well as the immediate future of the squad.
United eye former Liverpool target
Like United, Liverpool are also on the hunt for new midfielders due to their poor start to the Premier League. Last year’s title winners currently sit just one point above United in fourth place after a 1-1 draw with Burnley.
As per Caught Offside, Liverpool were interested in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes, but have since cooled their interest, with United taking their place in the queue for the Brazilian after receiving impressive scout reports in recent weeks.
United reportedly see Gomes as a good option for life without Casemiro, whose contract expires at the end of the summer. Casemiro will be granted a new one-year deal if he starts every game until the end of the season, although that is unlikely, despite his impressive performance against Manchester City.
Atletico Madrid, Crystal Palace and Napoli are also known to be interested in Gomes. United may have to act fast if they want to guarantee they’ll win the race for the 24-year-old.
However, if United can hold off until the summer, they may be able to sign Gomes on a cut-price deal with Wolves looking likely to go down. They currently sit on seven points after 21 games.
United should trust youth prospects
While United are still lacking a central midfielder, it is unlikely they will be able to sign one of the necessary standards before the summer transfer window.
Rather than paying over the odds on a risky deal, they should trust in the club’s academy setup. The number of talented academy midfielders is almost never-ending.
Read More: What Michael Carrick said about Bruno Fernandes speaks volumes about Ruben Amorim mistake
Tyler Fletcher, along with his brother Jack, has been on the bench in recent weeks, but has yet to make his senior debut. His appearance on the bench means he’s leapfrogged Sékou Koné and under-21s captain Jacob Devaney.
As someone who understands what United means, Carrick may offer debut opportunities to some of the club’s best prospects, including some defensive midfielders, who could be the long-term replacement for Casemiro.
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