A transfer insider has given the latest update regarding Manchester United’s pursuit of a midfielder this summer, after the Carlos Baleba saga was put to bed.
Manchester United’s Premier League season kicked off yesterday, and unfortunately for the Reds, they were defeated 1-0 by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side at home.
Despite the result, there were many positives for Ruben Amorim’s side to take, including the performances given by new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
United’s entirely new front three all featured in their defeat to the Gunners, as Benjamin Sesko made a 25-minute cameo off the bench to give the fans a taste of what is yet to come.
Although the Reds have seen their pursuit of Carlos Baleba come to an end for now, they may still look elsewhere for a new midfielder. Transfer insider Laurie Whitwell has given the latest.
New midfielder can’t be ruled out
On the Talk of the Devils podcast, via a post on X, Whitwell spoke about the potential for United to go back into the transfer market for a new midfielder before the window shuts in two weeks.
Whitwell said, “I wouldn’t rule it out, but I get the feeling that Baleba was the one they were going to try and do, and I don’t know if they’ll go for an alternative.”
Having missed out on Baleba for this summer, it remains unknown as to whether any other alternatives are being lined up for the Red Devils.
There haven’t been any concrete reports of any other alternative names as of yet, so it will be interesting to see what develops in the coming couple of weeks.
Do United need a midfielder?
Since Amorim took over as the United manager, one of the key debates surrounding the club has been what midfielders start in their best starting side.
Bruno Fernandes has often taken on a deeper role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 set up, and he has then typically been joined by a more defensive-minded player in Kobbie Mainoo or, like yesterday, Casemiro.
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United’s midfielder worked fairly well yesterday, considering the fact that they were against such tough opposition, which begs the question: Is reinforcement urgently needed?
As the Reds only have domestic competitions to focus on this season, they may be able to get away without additional midfield depth, but it is clear that in the time to come, if they want to challenge for trophies, some fresh faces will be key.
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