Manchester United have been linked with the signature of a ‘typical Premier League No.6’ as a potential replacement for ‘wet blanket’ Manuel Ugarte.
Manchester United are riding high off the back of an impressive away victory at Selhurst Park, where they dispatched of a very well-drilled Crystal Palace side.
Ruben Amorim’s team came out as 2-1 victors, thanks to goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount in the second half, which has taken the Reds to ninth in the Premier League.
A win against West Ham United tonight would send the Reds up to fifth in the table ahead of a very busy Christmas period, where they will be without certain stars such as Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo.
Despite their improved form, it appears that United will look to reinvest either in January or in the summer, with the midfield department likely to be shaken up.
United tipped for ‘typical No.6’
As stated by Pedro Mendes, via Metro, United could make a move for holding midfielder Joao Palhinha, who is currently spending the season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur.
“Palhinha at Man Utd? Well, why not? To be fair, I think Manuel Ugarte is more or less the same type of player as Palhinha. [But] Palhinha is an option if they want to replace him.
“We are not sure what is going to happen to Casemiro, so I think it (Manchester United signing Palhinha) could work.
“Joao Palhinha is the typical Premier League number six, that defensive midfielder who just sweeps up everything in front of the defenders.”
Could Palhinha work for the Reds?
Although it would be a different profile to the likes of Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, who the Reds are being linked with, Palhinha could add some much needed solidity in front of the backline.
The Portuguese midfielder hasn’t hit the heights that he did for Fulham since his departure, but nevertheless, he clearly has a unique skillset that can provide much value to a top team.
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It appears that United will try and stick to their recent model of buying Premier League-proven stars heading towards the prime years of their careers, whether they go for Palhinha, or one of their other options.
The Spurs midfielder may be a viable option, although given how exposed Amorim’s midfielders can be in his two-man pivot, it may be a smarter choice to pursue either Anderson or Wharton.
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