The start of the new Premier League season remains just under a month away, yet Manchester United appear keen to get their business done swiftly now that Euro 2024 and the Copa America have drawn to a close, with Leny Yoro edging closer to becoming the club's second signing of the window.
Shock horror, the teenage centre-back – who is set to sign on an initial £52m deal from Ligue 1 side Lille – is neither Dutch nor has any prior Eredivisie connections, with this high-profile coup looking like a deal that has INEOS, rather than Erik ten Hag, written all over it.
32 games (30 starts)
2 goals
0 assists
92% pass accuracy rate
13 clean sheets
1.1 tackles per game
1.1 interceptions per game
3.9 balls recovered per game
65% aerial duels won
63% total duels won
With the 18-year-old's impending arrival set to follow the £36.5m capture of Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee, it remains to be seen what Dan Ashworth and co will have left in the coffers to pursue further targets, although that has not prevented speculation regarding additional recruits making their way to Manchester.
Latest on Man Utd's midfield search
With the backline and the attacking ranks having already been strengthened, the next issue now appears to be bolstering the midfield unit, with the ageing duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen seemingly up for grabs, while Scott McTominay is believed to be generating significant interest at present.
As per Sky Sports, the Red Devils have reportedly rejected a bid of around £17m from Fulham for the Scotland international, with the Cottagers now debating whether to return with an improved offer for the 27-year-old.
This piece adds that with McTominay's future in doubt, United continue to keep tabs on Paris Saint-Germain star, Manuel Ugarte, having kept up contact with the French outfit over the potential signing of the £38m Uruguayan.
How Ugarte compares to Scott McTominay
Now, it must be said off the bat that Ugarte would not necessarily represent a direct replacement for McTominay in the centre of the park, with the latter man having typically operated in a more advanced attacking berth last season – culminating in career-best figures of ten goals in all competitions.
That said, much of the in-demand talent's work for the Old Trafford side has come at the base of the midfield in years gone by, while it is difficult to see him ousting either Bruno Fernandes or Kobbie Mainoo in those more advanced roles on a permanent basis.
As such, the main hope of McTominay nailing a starting berth would be in place of Casemiro in front of the back four, yet in that regard, Ugarte – who has been lauded for his "relentless" approach by writer Zach Lowy – would represent a significant upgrade.
That can be seen by the fact that in relation to his peers across Europe's top five leagues, the former Sporting CP warrior ranks in the top 1% for interceptions and the top 4% for tackles made per 90, with McTominay, meanwhile, ranking in just bottom 51% and the bottom 17% for those same two metrics, respectively.
What also sets the PSG man apart is the innate quality that he showcases on the ball, ranking in the top 5% across the last 365 days for pass completion (91.2% average), with his United counterpart ranking in just the bottom 44% (81% average) in that regard.
As Lowy also noted, there are games where it "seems he’s doing the defensive work of two players", such is Ugarte's presence as that midfield pivot, with such an addition no doubt needed after United were repeatedly left exposed last season – the midfield having been described as "non-existent" by Gary Neville at one stage.
With Ugarte a more natural fit to operate as a defensive-minded asset – while McTominay is something of an all-action, box-crashing threat – there would be wisdom in cashing in on the academy graduate to fund the Red Devils' pursuit.
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ByMatt DawsonJul 17, 2024