It appears that Manchester United will look to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s squad in the January transfer window. A striker is on the shopping list, but the Red Devils boss also appears to want to strengthen his team in midfield.
Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have been the first-choice pivots this season, and the Portuguese manager has seemed reluctant to stray too far from them.
Kobbie Mainoo is yet to start a Premier League game this season despite his obvious talent, and it appears Manuel Ugarte has also fallen firmly down the pecking order.
The Red Devils could consider signing a midfielder in January, and a new option appears to have emerged.
Man Utd offered chance to sign former Premier League star
It looks like there are a few options for the Manuncian team this winter, if they sign a midfielder.
One of the names that keeps coming up is Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson. Outside of the Premier League, Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller is also a reported target.
Elsewhere, a new report has emerged from The Times suggesting United have been offered the chance to sign Al-Hilal star Ruben Neves.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and is keen to return to the Premier League.
The move could come as early as this winter, with United one of the clubs who could have the chance to sign him. As for the fees, this would be a discounted decision due to his contractual situation.
Neves – who earns £290,000-a-week, according to Capology – could cost the Red Devils just £18m if they sign him in the coming weeks.
Why Neves could be Man Utd’s new Scholes
In recent years, Neves has been practicing his profession in Saudi Arabia on behalf of Al-Hilal. He has also enjoyed success, helping his team win four trophies, while they have only just reached a century of appearances, 106 to be exact.
If United were to bring the Portuguese star to the club this winter, they would be signing a ready-made player for the Premier League. He of course played 253 times for Wolves, scoring 30 times and assisting a further 13 times.
A true controller in midfield, the 63-cap Portuguese star is synonymous with dictating play. He was consistently among the best in the Premier League when it came to progressive passing.
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Neves’ passing stats against PL midfielders by season (per 90 minutes) |
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|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Progressive passes |
Passes into the final third |
|
2018/19 |
6.17 (top 22%) |
5.75 (top 13%) |
|
2019/20 |
6.36 (top 25%) |
5.71 (top 14%) |
|
2020/21 |
7.13 (top 11%) |
7.2 (top 6%) |
|
2021/22 |
6.83 (top 16%) |
6.76 (top 9%) |
|
2022/23 |
6.5 (best 20%) |
6.02 (best 12%) |
|
FBref statistics |
||
His best year for this metric was 2020/21, averaging 7.13 per 90 minutes. It’s easy to see why Statman Dave called him a “midfield general.”
It’s easy to imagine this kind of quality in a midfielder at Old Trafford. The 28-year-old, who won the Nations League twice with Portugal, would add an air of composure and class to the middle of the park, with passes like this a key part of his game.
Neves has already been compared to United legend Paul Scholes by another former Red Devils midfielder, Owen Hargreaves.
He said he “reminds him” of the Class of 1992 star because of “the way he hits the ball so clean.”
Scholes is of course one of the best midfielders in Premier League history. He won the title 11 times and made 716 appearances in total for the Red Devils.
Like Neves, he was a controller in the middle of the park, especially as his career progressed, really making things happen for United.
It’s easy to see how much the Al-Hilal man resembles Scholes. He’s someone who can dictate the pace of the game in the center of midfield, much like United’s former number 18, also bringing an air of technical brilliance to his team, while also producing something spectacular from distance.
£18 million is a bargain in today’s transfer market. This could be an ideal move for Amorim to help add depth to the midfield.
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