The summer transfer window came and went, but Manchester United failed to address their glaring need for a ball-winning midfielder.
Casemiro does not possess the legs to play every week, while Manuel Ugarte’s regression has been shocking to view.
Surprisingly, Ruben Amorim does not feel Kobbie Mainoo has the engine to play as the deep-lying playmaker, and hence, the head coach has opted to use a pivot of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes thus far.
However, he is aware of the need to improve, which is why he demanded INEOS to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Midfielder hunt failed
However, the Seagulls’ valuation meant a move never materialised, but the Red Devils are expected to go back for him either in January or next summer.
However, this time the Old Trafford side will not keep all their eggs in one basket, with Miguel Delaney of The Independent claiming that Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia has emerged as a surprise option to come in and eventually replace Casemiro.
“The end of the window of course means the start of speculation for January, mostly due to the business that didn’t get done.
“Manchester United still want a midfielder. Expect United to go back in for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, although some insiders have wondered whether a deal could be done for Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia,” the journalist wrote.
The Belgian has endured a terrible time since his €62 million move from Southampton to Chelsea back in 2023, missing almost 70 games due to a variety of injuries.
Romeo Lavia has emerged as an option
However, his footballing upbringing at Manchester City’s academy means he is good with the ball at his feet while also being equally competent out of possession.
As per Fbref, he ranked in the 96th percentile for passes completed, and in the 92nd percentile for take-ons completed among his midfield peers across Europe, which shows how press-resistant he can be.
The Belgium international was also in the 92nd percentile for interceptions and being only 21, he will only improve with time and he already knows what it takes to excel in the Premier League.
His injury record does need to improve, but he will cost a lot less than Baleba, who remains the top option and rightly so.
It will be interesting to see which player INEOS targets in the January window. Based off of the team’s start this season, Ruben Amorim needs all the help he can get.
Feature image Michael Regan 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
