It’s all gone a little quiet on the transfer front at Manchester United, with the swift, surprise moves for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans yet to be followed up by anything concrete.
Perhaps that’s how INEOS want it, with those two summer signings almost coming as a bolt from the blue, a real change from the persistent leaks and speculation of the recent past.
There’s no issue with the Old Trafford hierarchy doing things on the quiet, so long as there is actually work being carried out, with this squad currently not looking geared up to compete on multiple fronts next season.
That elusive third midfielder has yet to be found, for instance, with fears growing that the Red Devils may well play it safe by seeking out internal solutions instead.
Forget Carrington: Why Man Utd still need to sign a third midfielder
Even with Santos and Tielemans in the building for a fee of around £85m, there is a stark lack of depth in the senior midfield ranks, with Kobbie Mainoo the only obvious alternative amid the ‘loss’ of Manuel Ugarte to injury.
The usual pre-season lines have been thrown about that Mason Mount, an undoubtedly gifted footballer when fit and firing, might well be like a fabled ‘new signing’ this season in a deep-lying role, even after enduring three injury-hit seasons so far in Manchester.
To pin any sort of hopes on the 27-year-old, considering those long-standing woes, would be folly, with there also the issue that the former Chelsea man is the only clear understudy to Bruno Fernandes in the number ten berth.
|
Mount’s Premier League Record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games (Starts) |
Goals (Assists) |
|
25/26 |
23 (12) |
3 (0) |
|
24/25 |
17 (8) |
1 (0) |
|
23/24 |
14 (5) |
1 (0) |
|
22/23 |
24 (20) |
3 (2) |
|
21/22 |
32 (27) |
11 (10) |
|
20/21 |
36 (32) |
6 (5) |
|
19/20 |
37 (32) |
7 (5) |
Just as was the case with Mainoo almost three years ago, Michael Carrick could look to Carrington to find his third midfielder, with a raft of youngsters having featured in pre-season so far.
The impressive Jacob Devaney, who can also line up at centre-back, has been the headline name so far, although the 19-year-old would seemingly benefit from regular minutes out on loan, having shone during his six-month stint at St Mirren.
Hopes are high too for Jack and Tyler Fletcher, but the pair didn’t exactly show too much during their brief first-team cameos last season, suggesting that loans could be the best bet here too.
Any real shot at senior action appears to have come and gone for Dan Gore, while Toby Collyer is another touted to leave, following an injury-impacted year in the Championship last time out.
Another midfield signing is needed then, even if the solution might be a little bit of a wildcard.
How Man Utd could sign their answer to Camavinga
For many supporters, there’s an itch that still hasn’t been scratched, as the United faithful long for that real marquee name in midfield, someone who has already been there and done it at the elite level.
Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga has been floated as an option in recent weeks, although there is little sense that the Frenchman is actually willing to make the move to Old Trafford, even amid Jose Mourinho’s pursuit of Rodri.
One man who could be more open to a switch is Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall, with the versatile youngster likely to be the subject of an approach from the Red Devils, in the view of journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking to the United Stand.
“My feeling is that they will make an approach to Lewis Hall to understand that situation, and the player would welcome that approach because it’s win-win for him.
“He either gets Man United coming for him, or he gets leverage to go back to Newcastle and get the deal and the guarantees that he’s looking for, which again is why we need to keep an eye on the whole situation”.
Talk surrounding Hall’s future has been brought into sharper focus following Eddie Howe’s shock departure from St James’ Park, the 21-year-old potentially set to follow Bruno Guimaraes out the door as the latest marquee name to leave the Magpies.
Now, while the Englishman might not have been utilised as a midfielder on Tyneside, he did burst onto the scene in that role at Chelsea, before transitioning more permanently into that left-back berth.
There is a sense then that United could kill two birds with one stone by prising Hall from the North East side, as not only would he represent a reliable deputy and successor to Luke Shaw, but he could also be a genuine option in a deep-lying midfield role.
That flexibility is something which has been seen in Camavinga’s game at the Bernabeu, the left-footer typically deployed as a number eight or number six, albeit while lining up at left-back over 30 times for the LaLiga giants.
Like Camavinga, what makes Hall a potential asset in both roles is just how adept he is in possession, so often looking to invert even when he does start at full-back.
For instance, in Newcastle’s 1-0 loss to the Red Devils back in December, Hall was masterful for the visitors, regularly seen occupying a central role as he drove forward at will from deep.
The man who has previously scored twice at Old Trafford notably successfully completed seven of his eight attempted dribbles that night, while out of possession he also flourished, winning 13 of his 16 attempted duels.
Across the season in general, Hall notably averaged 1.2 successful dribbles per game, the same average that Camavinga achieved in LaLiga in 2023/24, a season in which he was deployed at left-back on occasion.
Having been raised in the Cobham academy ranks as both a defender and midfielder, having Hall operate in both roles – as Camavinga has done in Madrid – certainly wouldn’t be the worst idea for Carrick and co.
He’s a heck of a talent, with it no surprise that INEOS are seemingly lining up an approach.