Understanding Manchester United’s midfield shortlist: Fernandes, Ederson, Baleba, Scott and more
Manchester United’s major moves in the summer market will come in midfield. Recruitment staff are surveying several options with a view to signing at least two, possibly three, players in the knowledge that the centre of the team has long needed a significant rebuild.The exit of Casemiro, who has been influential in his fourth and final year, heightens the immediate focus, and work is being done on multiple targets so United can act quickly once the campaign ends on Sunday. Progress is being made on personal terms with players, so United can understand the full costs of potential moves and then press ahead depending on the configuration that makes tactical and financial sense. New recruits being Premier League-proven is a preference.Here, The Athletic examines the qualities of the candidates under discussion.Given Casemiro’s impending departure, it is worth highlighting exactly what sort of hole Manchester United will need to fill in the centre of their midfield.To do this, we can turn to The Athletic’s new season-level player dashboard, which outlines an individual’s on-pitch profile and key strengths, while also providing a shortlist of players with similar styles.A career-high nine league goals have been a bonus from the 34-year-old this season, but Casemiro’s bread and butter is being the man to shut down attacks at source. Front-foot defending is a hallmark of his game, with only Everton’s James Garner engaging in more tackles and interceptions among all Premier League players this season.As shown below, the coverage of those defensive actions spans across nearly every blade of grass.If United were to look for a statement signing across Europe, then Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni would fit the bill perfectly.The 26-year-old has been at the centre of controversy in Spain in recent weeks after a training-ground altercation with team-mate Federico Valverde. Off-pitch matters aside, there are few midfielders better equipped to dictate the tempo of a game, with Tchouameni at the heart of his side’s build-up — often dropping between his centre-backs, shuttling the ball to nearby team-mates, and starting a new wave of attack.As his profile shows below, Tchouameni can look after possession well when bodies converge on him (press resistance), but he is also unafraid to stick a foot in himself (front-foot defending) when Madrid are out of possession.Crucially, the France international often comes out with the ball when making those challenges, with a 57 per cent “true” tackle success rate (including tackles, challenges lost and fouls committed) being the fifth-highest among La Liga midfielders this season.United officials have watched Tchouameni in person this season, and are in position should Madrid express an openness to selling. So far, that has seemed unlikely given his current levels of performance — he has made 49 appearances in all competitions, starting all 13 games in the Champions League before suspension kept him out of the quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich. The player himself has not expressed a desire to leave.But the turmoil at the Bernabeu hints at an opportunity for United, and they are in touch with the relevant people in case a transfer becomes on the cards. Jose Mourinho’s looming reappointment slows that process down, though, with Madrid’s new manager expected to want time to study the squad he will inherit before making decisions, potentially delaying any resolution over Tchouameni’s until after the World Cup ends in mid-July.The resurgence of Kobbie Mainoo in the heart of United’s midfield means that any new signing will be playing alongside the 21-year-old — and carry a profile that will dovetail with his existing role in coach Michael Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 system.Mainoo’s profile complements Casemiro’s because of the different skill sets that the pair bring to the pitch.Our next data graphic tells us Mainoo is less likely to throw himself into challenges, but is the one to drive United upfield with his strong technical ability (press resistance). As shown by his progressive pass zones, he will frequently drift into the left half-space when United go forward, with an eye for a pass between the lines to find his creative team-mates ahead of him.Looking for a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro might result in a search that is too narrow.United would be wise to look for an athletic, box-to-box midfielder with the defensive nous to snuff out danger, with a shortlist led by those who already possess Premier League experience — a model that served the club well in their attacking recruitment last summer.The name on the lips of many sporting directors is Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.All that is positive in Forest’s build-up will often go through Anderson, who is responsible for 16 per cent of their total passes this season. For context, no other player is above 10 per cent in Vitor Pereira’s squad at the City Ground. Often punching the ball forward to those ahead of him, Anderson’s 369 line-breaking passes are nearly double Forest’s next-best total — that of full-back Neco Williams, who is on 179.However, it is Anderson’s tenacity and intelligent reading of the game that stand out, highlighted by his 302 ball recoveries this season. It might not sound like a glamorous statistic, but the 23-year-old England international is so often in the right place to hoover up loose balls, regain possession and begin another wave of attack for his team. For context, the next-highest recoveries total in the Premier League this season is 206 by Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Andre.Manchester City are considered the clear frontrunners for Anderson’s signature, though, with a fee in excess of £100million anticipated. United are unlikely to bid that high. Forest, led by owner Evangelos Marinakis, have a strong negotiating position, with Anderson under contract until 2029.Some United fans might scoff at the idea of recruiting a player from a relegation-battling side, but West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes has been one of the most consistent performers in an otherwise difficult season for the east Londoners.Nuno Espirito Santo’s side saw a notable uptick in form since the turn of the year, and Fernandes’ control from midfield was integral to them doing so. While previously used in an advanced midfield role by Southampton, the 21-year-old has shown how well-rounded he is this season.As shown by his heatmap, few areas of the pitch are off-limits as he goes searching for the ball — with his first thought often to look forward when he is able to retrieve possession.Fernandes’ skill set evokes comparisons with Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha at times, with his diminutive frame and technical quality able to influence the tempo of a game when given the opportunity.The Portugal international is being tracked by United, with The Athletic revealing West Ham are expected to sell him this summer. He does not have a release clause but West Ham would want to make a good profit on the £38million they paid Southampton for him last August.If United were to look towards a dedicated protective defensive midfielder, you can understand why they enquired about Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba at the start of this season.Baleba is a combative, press-resistant midfielder who can be integral in his side’s build-up, and while he has not stood out quite in the same way for Brighton in the current campaign as he did in the previous one, few players can keep up with his energy and wiry frame when he gets into his stride.As shown below, the 22-year-old Cameroon international protects the midfield, but has a penchant for stretching his legs and evading pressure by committing opponents with driving runs through the centre of the field (carry progression). With his minutes notably reduced compared with last season, Baleba’s mindset is arguably the biggest focus when considering a transfer — given that he has the technical attributes to succeed at the highest level.United held talks on Baleba last summer, with personal terms not a problem, and although his form has dipped this campaign, he remains a midfielder under watch. His return to the Brighton team in recent weeks has seen him reproduce the kind of play that initially attracted United — and though his value has taken a hit, his fee could still be in excess of £60million.Atalanta’s Ederson profiles somewhere between Fernandes and Baleba.The 26-year-old is active in hoovering up danger — clocking up his fair share of tackles and interceptions — but also reads the game well with a high volume of ball recoveries to get his side back on the front foot. The Italy-based Brazil international is arguably stronger at retaining possession than countryman Casemiro, often keeping his passes shorter to feet with an ability to punch the ball forward to runners ahead of him.Ederson is the sort of player managers adore, patrolling the pitch between both boxes. He might not always get the headlines, but he is a crucial cog in the wider team dynamic that allows others around him to play at full tilt.Ederson is a player United have tracked since last summer and he presents an option at the lower end of the cost scale, potentially in the region of £40million, due to his contract expiring in 2027. They are aware of what his personal terms would look like.Alex Scott is a midfield catalyst in a different manner.He is defensively combative when he needs to be, but the 22-year-old is much more in the market for getting on the ball — dropping a shoulder and driving his side forward through the heart of the pitch.That is shown below (carry progression), with an ability to progress Bournemouth upfield when the ball is at his feet. This technical quality will often draw opposition players towards him, allowing him to also break lines with his passing skill set.A perfect example of these two aspects to his game can be seen in the opening goal against Manchester City this week, where Scott’s pass from deep takes three players out of the game to unlock the attack. The assisting cross might have come from left-back Adrien Truffert, but Scott’s involvement was crucial to the goalscoring sequence.Scott would not disappoint in bringing energy to United’s midfield, and he is rightfully receiving plaudits for his own performances this season — receiving his first senior England call-up in November.At his age, he would be a good long-term investment that could be a mainstay in United’s midfield for the next decade. He is liked at the club and talks have been held to assess the overall cost of signing him. His contract expires in 2028.Staying among the young English cohort, Adam Wharton’s on-ball ability needs little introduction — with a technical grace that looks effortless when passing with his left foot. Among all Premier League midfielders (with 900-plus minutes played), nobody has averaged more than Wharton’s 17.8 lines broken per 100 pass attempts this season.His defensive nous has been questioned previously, but do not underestimate the work that the 22-year-old can get through. With Crystal Palace often holding a compact mid-block when out of possession, Wharton can spring from his position to snap into challenges or collect loose balls to get his side back on the front foot.That balanced profile in and out of possession can also be seen in Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. After being offered to Arsenal by his agent in January, you would not be surprised to see the 26-year-old Italy international being closely studied by United this summer.Tonali is an all-action player, able to snuff out opposition counter-attacks while also being the catalyst for his own side to get on the front foot in possession. As shown below by his on-ball involvement and creative threat, he has match-winning traits with a powerful long-range strike or a driving run through the heart of the pitch.The temperature from Old Trafford has been cooler on Tonali in recent weeks, however.Elsewhere, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams would be the archetypal midfielder to protect the defence.Having missed two months of action after tearing the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee, Adams’ minutes have been limited, but his profile has been integral to coach Andoni Iraola’s all-action, aggressive style at Bournemouth.Spotting danger and putting out fires is what the 27-year-old USMNT international does best. Only Casemiro averages more than his 4.8 “true” interceptions (interceptions plus blocked passes) per 1,000 opposition touches this season. United are in touch to understand the cost, which might be in the £40million neighbourhood. Adams has two years left on his Bournemouth contract.Broadening our search out among young British talent, Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney is believed to be well-liked by those within the club, including Carrick, who coached him during his time at the Riverside Stadium before rejoining United in January.The 23-year-old has long been thought of as a player with huge potential, with an ability to drift over to either side of the pitch to support the attack. While nominally a central midfielder, Hackney is comfortable operating at the top end of the pitch, with no Championship player (with 900-plus minutes played) averaging more than his 35.7 touches in the attacking third per 90 minutes this season.That drifting tendency is shown below in his progressive pass zones, which span across the field from wide threaded balls to central passes punched through the lines.The learning curve might be steep when applying his skill set to the top of the Premier League, but Hackney would have time to adapt if he were brought in as a player to strengthen the squad.Middlesbrough’s recent play-off semi-final opponents Southampton boast their own young talent in the middle of the park.Shea Charles was a product of Manchester City’s academy from the age of seven before moving to the south coast. Helped by a loan to Sheffield Wednesday in the second tier last season, the 22-year-old has developed into a versatile midfielder — capable of playing in multiple positions, including full-back.As his heatmap shows above, Charles has the athleticism to get around the pitch with a tall, wiry frame that would be suited to Premier League football. He, too, would need time to develop at the highest level, but the raw materials are already there for the Northern Ireland international.Jason Wilcox, United’s director of football, had Charles at City’s academy and signed him for Southampton in a £15million deal in July 2023. Both he and Hackney would be seen as lower-cost options to bolster the squad, but with potential high upside.These are several candidates United are looking at, or have in the near past, but there are others the club have watched too. It is part of a strategy to build leverage and not be held to ransom on a single deal by having multiple targets.An important summer of business awaits.
