Manchester United are reportedly willing to revisit some of the options who have been on their watchlist for quite some time, particularly Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba.
The Red Devils have been left with a depleted midfield department following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s unfortunate injury.
The Uruguayan has, in all likelihood, suffered an ACL tear against Spain, which could rule him out for the bulk of the next campaign.
Man Utd revive interest in Carlos Baleba & Adam Wharton
At the moment, Mainoo is the only natural central midfielder left in Man Utd’s squad. While Ederson is expected to complete his £39 million transfer from Atalanta after the World Cup, another two additions are now required.
West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes is considered the top target for United, who missed out on Man City-bound Elliot Anderson.
However, the Hammers are seeking £80 million to sell the young Portuguese, a figure that INEOS deem excessive.
Whether Man Utd eventually succeed in securing Fernandes or not remains to be seen, but in either case, the 21-year-old’s arrival wouldn’t be sufficient.
According to The Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst, this situation may have prompted Man Utd to rekindle their interest in Baleba and Wharton, as well as Alex Scott, who is considered the main alternative to Fernandes.
Last summer, Baleba was Man Utd’s main midfield target, but the club was repelled by Brighton’s asking price, which exceeded £100 million.
MUFC’s interest in the Cameroonian cooled due to some of his underwhelming displays, which saw him lose his starting spot with the Seagulls.
As for Wharton, he was disregarded because the club’s directors considered him too similar to Mainoo.
Baleba or Wharton: Who is the more suitable profile for United?
Wharton might be one of the most technically gifted English midfielders in this generation, but United were right in their original assessment, as a Mainoo-Wharton pairing could be too light, while spending a large transfer fee on the Crystal Palace only to use him as Mainoo’s understudy might not be financially plausible.
Therefore, Baleba would be the more suitable option style-wise, as Michael Carrick’s squad currently lacks a holding midfielder who can fill the gap caused by Casemiro’s departure.
| Percentiles | Duel% | Poss won | Prog carries | Fwd passes | Fwd pass% | Key passes | Prog passes | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
C. Baleba
|
85.9 | 87.3 | 46.1 | 11.3 | 9.5 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 1793 |
|
Casemiro
|
75.7 | 100.0 | 11.1 | 90.0 | 34.7 | 54.0 | 84.3 | 2776 |
|
A. Wharton
|
66.7 | 63.7 | 34.3 | 69.7 | 28.3 | 95.4 | 92.4 | 2797 |
|
K. Mainoo
|
41.0 | 41.5 | 60.7 | 67.8 | 92.4 | 53.0 | 19.7 | 1901 |
|
Éderson
|
54.2 | 73.8 | 73.8 | 86.3 | 85.4 | 69.0 | 79.4 | 2396 |
|
A. Tchouaméni
|
97.2 | 76.6 | 27.6 | 95.8 | 98.9 | 33.3 | 89.3 | 2854 |
(Stats by DataMB)
Ederson might possess important physical strength, but he’s viewed as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder rather than a natural No.6.
In addition to Baleba, United should certainly consider a move for Aurelien Tchouameni should the opportunity present itself. Recent reports claim that Real Madrid could be open to selling the Frenchman.
If the 26-year-old becomes available for a more affordable price than Baleba’s, he should become the top target for the defensive midfielder role due to his superior experience at the top level and ideal playing age.
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