As any Manchester United supporter can be conscious, studying an excessive amount of into pre-season is a idiot’s recreation, with the primary correct litmus take a look at set to come back on Saturday forward of the return to Wembley for the Manchester Derby.
Forged your thoughts again a decade in the past, when new boss Louis van Gaal oversaw a surprising summer time by which the Pink Devils defeated all earlier than them, notably seeing off the likes of Liverpool, Actual Madrid and Roma to spark hope for what was to come back. Then got here the opening day towards Swansea Metropolis…
And so, whereas a 3-0 defeat to Arne Slot’s facet final day out might have stung when trying on the scoreline, a real judgement can’t be made till this weekend or subsequent weekend not less than, with Erik ten Hag nonetheless assembling a squad able to kicking on after final season’s combined bag.
That mentioned, what pre-season can do is flag up potential warning indicators, with the show of Casemiro – who was far too simply deceived for Fabio Carvalho’s opener – little doubt set to have alarm bells ringing again at Outdated Trafford.
Whereas discuss of a transfer to Saudi Arabia has gone chilly relating to the Brazilian, if United can get their palms on an enough substitute, then maybe the veteran can lastly be despatched packing…
Man Utd’s seek for a midfielder
In line with Sky Sports activities, INEOS have held ‘preliminary talks’ relating to a potential transfer for AS Monaco star, Youssouf Fofana, with the Premier League facet looking for alternate options to Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte.
The report signifies that the Pink Devils have ‘explored the circumstances’ of a deal for the Frenchman, with the 25-year-old probably up for grabs with only a yr left to run on his current deal.
Whereas no price is revealed within the report, prior hypothesis has prompt that United might purchase the midfielder for round €35m (£29m) this summer time.
How Fofana compares to Casemiro
The “cement” within the facet in his first season at Outdated Trafford – as claimed by his supervisor – Casemiro was way more of an issue than an answer final day out, with the 32-year-old enduring a dismal, injury-hit marketing campaign.
|
Casemiro’s PL season comparability – 2022/23 vs 2023/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (*per recreation) |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
|
Video games (begins) |
28 (24) |
25 (24) |
|
Objectives |
4 |
1 |
|
Assists |
3 |
2 |
|
‘Large possibilities’ created |
7 |
2 |
|
Key passes* |
1.0 |
0.6 |
|
Move accuracy |
79% |
83% |
|
Tackles* |
3.2 |
3.3 |
|
Interceptions* |
1.2 |
0.7 |
|
Dribbled previous* |
1.6 |
2.2 |
|
Duels received* |
6.4 |
5.8 |
|
Possession misplaced* |
13.0 |
12.0 |
|
Fouls made* |
1.7 |
1.2 |
|
Yellow playing cards |
7 |
7 |
From the opening weekend, the writing was seemingly on the wall, with a partnership of the previous Actual Madrid man and new signing Mason Mount having been “torn to shreds” up towards a powerful Wolverhampton Wanderers facet, as per membership legend Gary Neville.
In fact, the five-time Champions League winner by no means actually recovered, with pundit Jamie Carragher even going so far as to assert that the skilled star “must name it a day“, following the abject 4-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace.
That could be a contact hyperbolic, however there is not any denying that the once-dominant destroyer seems to be to be creaking, therefore the necessity for a determine like Fofana to come back in and take his place.
Described as a possible “game-changer” for any high crew by knowledge analyst, Ben Mattinson, the midfield “monster” would supply a youthful athleticism within the centre of the park that has been distinctly missing from Ten Hag’s facet.
A key subject final time period was the benefit at which opposition gamers appeared to breeze previous Casemiro – very like Carvalho on the weekend – with the £350k-per-week brute having been dribbled previous 2.2 occasions per recreation within the high flight, as per Sofascore.
Fofana, in the meantime, was dribbled previous simply 1.1 occasions per recreation in his 32 Ligue 1 outings, whereas additionally making his mark by mopping up successfully after averaging 7.2 ball recoveries per recreation – far forward of his United counterpart’s 5.3 common in that regard.
An extra good thing about the Monaco man can also be his skill to make an impression within the last third, having chalked up 4 objectives and 4 assists in 2023/24, whereas additionally creating seven ‘huge possibilities’ with a mean of 1.3 key passes per recreation.
For comparability, Casemiro registered simply three league purpose involvements in whole, having additionally registered simply two ‘huge possibilities’ and with a mean of solely 0.6 key passes per recreation.
That stark distinction outlines the raid enchancment that United might make by bringing Fofana into the fold, with time now operating out to repair that midfield drawback forward of the go to of Fulham subsequent Friday.
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Man Utd need £30m Ugarte various who’s a “grasp of the darkish arts”
He has additionally been chased by Fulham
