Manchester United seem to be looking for another central midfielder this summer, although they passed on the opportunity to get one of the world’s greatest for a relatively low amount.
If Manchester United’s poor surrender to Newcastle United demonstrated anything, it’s that the need for midfield reinforcements r/e/m/a/i/n/s acute.
Erik ten Hag didn’t have to be at Old Trafford long to see his new team’s shortcomings in the center of the field. Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, and Nemanja Matic all left, and replacing them was his primary priority.
The public chases of midfield targets dominated most of his first summer window with United. Frenkie de Jong was the window’s ‘will he, won’t he?’ tale, with the Barcelona star finally opting for the latter.
Other stories included John Murtough’s courtship of Adrien Rabiot, which resulted in his landing in Turin with little more than a postcard. United did, however, secure a few of its objectives, and the additions of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro have both helped to strengthen the position.
With Eriksen out due to injury and Casemiro out due to yet another ban, the lack of skill behind them was on full show at Saint James’ Park. Despite his exploits with Scotland, Scott McTominay continues to split United supporters, while Marcel Sabizter has only shown his talent after his deadline-day deal was completed.
Ten Hag’s second summer window is expected to be another busy one, with the acquisition of a central midfielder being a priority. So, what might Manchester United do with a World Cup champion who is already showing proficiency in the English Premier League?
Enzo Fernandez was a relative unknown a year ago, his stellar reputation in South America having yet to completely p/e/n/e/t/r/a/t/e the European mind. That’s not to ᵴɑү he wasn’t catching the attention of those in the know, with many feeling he was on the verge of becoming one of the world’s top midfielders.
United Scouts agreed with that judgment and traveled to Argentina last April to carefully monitor the outstanding 21-year-old. Ole said that many in attendance were astounded by his abilities after he scored the lone goal in a Copa Libertadores victory against Fortaleza.
Sadly for United, with Ten Hag yet to be formally announced as the club’s new manager, there was a general recruiting stalemate. Ralf Rangnick was in charge as interim manager at the time, and although being groomed for a consultant job, senior executives were waiting for a new head coach to approve any transfer moves. Because of United’s hesitation, Fernandez joined Benfica for only £17 million.
The rest, as they ᵴɑү, is history, with Fernandez soon establishing himself, first in European football with Benfica, and then in international football with Argentina. By the time he won the World Cup in Qatar, his worth had skyrocketed, with Chelsea paying a British record £107 million to sign him on the same day United signed Sabitzer.
Although Chelsea has struggled since his arrival, Fernandez has shown why Stamford Bridge executives were eager to break records to get him to the club. United will have to go deep into their money again this summer to fix their midfield dilemma, but Fernandez might have done it all for less than half the price of a Donny van de Beek.
