Manchester United’s need for a midfielder was made pretty apparent in their opening day loss to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Red Devils completely dominated the Gunners, but Ruben Amorim’s decision to withdraw the ageing Casemiro for Manuel Ugarte meant the hosts lost impetus and eventually had to return home empty-handed.
It was even more surprising given Kobbie Mainoo’s presence on the United bench. It has since come to light that the head coach does not feel the Carrington graduate has it in him to play a deeper role.
Given Ugarte’s struggles, it made sense for the 20-time English league champions to target a new defensive midfielder, with Carlos Baleba identified as the perfect fit.
Felix Nmecha remains on the radar But despite Amorim’s demands, INEOS simply did not have the money to pull off the deal, and now, they are scrambling to land an alternative before the transfer window slams shut.
Adam Wharton has emerged as an alternative, but Crystal Palace are likely to ask for a lot, and as a result, United are trying to find a low-cost alternative.
Interestingly, Get Football News Germany have claimed that Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha remains on the club’s radar.
“Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Nmecha this summer and, are still interested. United may possess the resources to meet Dortmunds demands.”
United were linked with the 24-year-old earlier in the window, and now, they will have to compete with Inter Milan for the ex-Manchester City ace’s signature.
Price tag revealed The Nerazzurri enquired about the Germany international’s availability, and Dortmund responded by slapping a 60 million price tag on the midfielder’s head as per Italys Corriere dello Sport.
“A request for information has also been sent to Dortmund regarding Felix Nmecha , but Borussia has responded that 60 million is wanted.”
Whether INEOS can pull off such a costly deal at this stage remains to be seen. Having already spent big money to improve the team’s attack, the co-owners are currently banking on player exits before re-entering the market.
Lucien Agoum of Sevilla is a more cost-effective deal. Hopefully, the club help secure Amorim with all the reinforcements he needs. After a disastrous last season, the Portuguese tactician could do with all the help he can get.
Feature image Dean Mouhtaropoulos via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
