Manchester United are set to invest heavily in at least one midfielder next summer, with Matheus Cunha a big fan of his former teammate Joao Gomes.
Manchester United find themselves on a run of five games unbeaten, and look to have finally hit their stride after a slow start to this Premier League season.
The Reds find themselves in joint fifth, just one point behind Sunderland in fourth, and although many would have ruled out the possibility of Champions League qualification before the start of the season, hopes have been reignited.
One of the main reasons for the current success of the club is the summer transfer window, where the club made several key additions to their squad.
United transformed their frontline, bringing in three new attackers in Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, as well as securing a deadline-day deal for goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Mbeumo has undoubtedly been United’s player of the season so far, even picking up the Premier League’s player of the month award for October, and has so far scored five and assisted one.
Šeško has shown glimpses of what he can bring to the side, as he continues to adapt to life in the Premier League, while Lammens has already established himself as United’s first-choice goalkeeper after a string of great performances between the sticks.
Cunha compares Gomes to new United teammate
Cunha, out of the three new forward signings, has had the slowest start to life at Old Trafford, having missed a couple of games through a hamstring injury.
United are seemingly already looking towards next summer, with the main goal being to sign at least one midfielder, as they look to add depth to a position that many fans felt should have been addressed in the summer.
One such target is Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder João Gomes, Cunha’s former teammate, with the current United forward likening him to Casemiro, who may leave the club at the end of this season.
As reported by the Express & Star, Cunha spoke highly of Gomes in 2024, saying: “Maybe Casemiro is a bit older now, but I put Casemiro’s name there only to show where Joao Gomes could arrive.”
“I think Joao has the possibility to arrive. He is very humble, and he works a lot. The good teams come like a gift when you do that.”
“He is unbelievable on the pitch,” he added. “I feel very secure. I feel like I can lose the ball when I have my midfielders behind me. He played very well for the national team, too.”
United going all in on new transfer strategy
In the past, United’s managers had complete control over player transfers, and therefore, there was no long-term strategy for the club. Once a manager was sacked, they would have to then overhaul the club.
A recent example of this is the previous manager, Erik ten Hag, who spent £600 million on transfers, which many found questionable. For example, the club spent £81.3 million on Antony, who scored just five times and assisted three times across 62 Premier League games before leaving for Real Betis in the summer.
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One of the main problems when buying players from abroad is that, even if they are highly talented, they often struggle to hit the ground running owing to the physical nature of the league, and can sap themselves of all confidence. A good example is Florian Wirtz, who, although he is clearly a fantastic player, has failed to score or assist in 11 league games after joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
United are clearly focused on signing players with Premier League experience. Their reported midfield shortlist for next summer is mainly comprised of current players in the league, such as Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and now João Gomes.
While buying players who are close to their prime with Premier League experience will come with a premium price, there is a much higher chance of success should United pursue this transfer strategy, as seen by the success of Mbeumo.
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