David Ornstein revealed what Manchester United plan to do in midfield after recruiting Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
On Monday, the Red Devils announced the capture of 22-year-old Santos, who completed a £50 million switch from Chelsea.
However, the biggest news of the day was the out-of-the-blue Tielemans bombshell. Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano both confirmed that Man Utd activated the Aston Villa star’s £35 million release clause. The Belgian will complete his medical on Tuesday before signing a five-year agreement.
David Ornstein describes third Man United signing
Despite the arrivals of Santos and Tielemans, United still need an additional midfielder to shore up the department, as Kobbie Mainoo was the only survivor from last season, due to Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s long-term injury.
Curiously, Ornstein didn’t reveal any names, but he described the profile that United need to complement their other midfielders.
The British journalist believes MUFC are still lacking a midfielder capable of doing the dirty work and elevating the team’s mileage.
“They will want someone who is fit, can cover the pitch, and adds complementary qualities to what these players offer, which is playing with the ball and controlling it,” said Ornstein during his appearance on The Athletic’s podcast.
“They need a player who can run, and they will be well aware of that.”
Is Manu Kone the perfect Man Utd third midfield signing?
While Ornstein didn’t disclose any names, it almost seemed like he was describing Manu Kone, who landed on Man Utd’s shortlist thanks to his impressive World Cup exploits.
Interestingly, if United are looking for an energetic box-to-box midfielder, they could have proceeded with Ederson’s signing. However, they instead decided to backtrack, citing issues in his medical tests.
Nevertheless, the cynics believe Man Utd simply felt they should pursue a more convincing profile than the Brazilian international, and might be planning an onslaught on Kone.
As long as the 25-year-old is involved in the World Cup, neither he nor Roma will be open to discussing the deal. But as we’ve seen with the swift Tielemans operation, we might witness rapid developments on this front once the French star’s tournament is over.
The Italian capital side reportedly set their asking price at £50 million, but another one or two solid performances on the biggest stage could drive the figure up.
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