Man United are hoping to capture both Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen this summer to improve their midfield options.
Manchester United may not have caught anything yet, but they are surely hunting in the correct place.
It's a huge summer for United as they try to drastically upgrade a squad that posted the club's worst-ever Premier League finish last season and provide new manager Erik ten Hag with the greatest building blocks available as he looks to start a new era at Old Trafford. The transfer window has begun with trepidation, since United are yet to sign a player while Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham have all made significant acquisitions, but there is no need for concern.
The midfield is the one area in which United excels above all others. Last season, there was already a serious need for improvement in the middle of the park, and that was before Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, and Juan Mata all left at the end of their contracts. The addition of Ten Hag, who will rely on intelligent and technical middlemen to implement his philosophy on match days, has increased the demand for solid midfield players.
Intelligent and technical are two terms that might readily define both Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen, both of whom were raised in Ajax's Total Football school and possess the traits that the new manager seeks.
Though it seemed like a pipe dream at the time, a deal for De Jong appears to be getting closer, with Barcelona eager to sell the player, despite how well suited he is to Barca, in order to fund their newest splurge on ageing megastars. Ten Hag saw the 25-year-old, with whom he had great success in Amsterdam, as the ideal player to help stamp his identity on the club early on. It would be a costly signing, but United do not have a player with De Jong's variety of passing and tactical nous on the field.
Then there's Eriksen, who came back from the worst hardship imaginable in January to prove that, despite everything, he's still a world-class operator.
United are interested in acquiring Eriksen and De Jong, which would dramatically transform their midfield, adding a plethora of skill and cunning to replace the hard running and bluster they now have. What would it imply for Bruno Fernandes if United managed to hold off tough competition for both signatures?
De Jong would have to be an instant starter in what will probably be a midfield three, and while he may not play every minute of every game, Eriksen will not be leaving to warm the bench. Given that the first two players are more advanced, the third player must be more defensively focused. That doesn't leave much space for Fernandes.
At least not in a prominent position. Instead, Ten Hag might test Fernandes in a wide forward role, which could work well for all sides.
Fernandes is a daredevil. Sometimes those risks pay off spectacularly, but most of the time they result in balls sailing out of play. In any case, Ten Hag is a manager who values control, and taking risks immediately leads to less control. Having a guy like Fernandes, who is always seeking for a Hollywood pass or a miraculous strike, will result in United losing possession far more frequently than it will result in a goal. It's difficult to envision that working under the new leadership.
Ten Hag want his midfielders to be secure in possession and to keep the ball.
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