Let's find Manchester United a new midfielder

Before we get going, we have a Premier League season preview package coming out! Ted and I (Kim) are writing and editing detailed previews for all 20 teams, with contributions from the other folks you see around here on a regular basis: Patrick van Straaten, Mohamed Mohamed, Catalina Bush, and Neel Shelat.

It’s a lot of extra work and we wanted to pay those folks fairly, so we are charging for it. The preview package is £10, and you can buy it here. Just click on the far-right option, or the gift option if you’d like to buy it for someone else. We thought it was a fair price for something that’s going to be something like 30-40,000 words, a lot of stats and graphics you won’t see anywhere else, and quite a bit of spreadsheet work from yours truly.

We’ll drop it the week of Monday, August 4, and I’ll provide some updates as big transfers are confirmed. As always, thank you all for your support, and I hope you’re enjoying the content.

We’ve been hard on Manchester United in the couple of summer transfer windows that this publication has existed for. We didn’t love either the Mateus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo deals, with both representing significant overpays for players who overperformed their underlying numbers last season. The opportunity cost of those overpays is less budget to upgrade in central midfield, which Ted and I both felt was a much bigger area of concern than the wings.

Thankfully for United fans, some more midfield rumours are popping up, and it seems like management does know that going into this season with their current crop isn’t going to cut it. Unfortunately, I don’t love the recently linked midfielders. Much like Cunha and Mbeumo, I do think they’re decent players who are a bit better than what they’d be replacing, but also not nearly good enough for United to sign them for big fees.

Instead of holding out for a £5m consulting fee as Ted joked last week, I’m just going to tell you who they should look into signing instead. Maybe this is why I am not rich.

Morten Hjulmand — Those CL numbers scare me

A Bola reports that Hjulmand and Ruben Amorim wouldn’t mind a reunion at Old Trafford. They don’t give an exact price, but speculate that it’ll cost more than €40m but less than €60m.

Theoretically, Hjulmand is the kind of do-everything, 6-8 tweener that United needs, and he’s obviously familiar with the system he’d be coming into. But his passing numbers fell off an absolute cliff in Champions League play, leading me to believe his league stats are a bit of a mirage. Surely United can find someone without such a massive red flag.

Javi Guerra — Fine I guess

Before you go “eww,” Valencia were not great last season and I thought Moreno did well relative to his team, which scored just 40 goals and had a -5 goal differential. The price is also right — MARCA reports he’ll cost United €27m.

United wouldn’t have to go shopping in the bargain bin if they were smarter with their forward signings, both this summer and for the last decade, But this would be a decent gamble at the price point.

Angelo Stiller — Still the dream

We highlighted Angelo Stiller in Rebuilding United, speculating that a big Champions League club would beat them to the punch. That has not happened yet, despite Xabi Alonso asking for him, mostly because Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez doesn’t like his face. The previously rumoured price was €60m, and if Stiller’s agent will even take your phone calls, I’d be begging like Anthony Hamilton.

Éderson — Not sure why they didn’t do this in May

Will just repeat myself from Rebuilding United.

He’s been linked for a £40-45m price all summer and I’m shocked they haven’t done it if he’s interested and Atalanta are selling.

Lamine Camara — I admit we’re taking a risk here

This is much more of a Chelsea-style signing, which is kind of what I think Man United should do. Bit of a sidebar rant, but given their current roster constructions, shouldn’t United be the risky player trading operation and Chelsea be the one buying plug-and-play, low risk guys who can contribute right away? Perhaps their front offices should trade places.

Anyway, I acknowledge that Camara is a bit of a flash in the pan with some lower tier team farming/sub effects in his stats, and has some high bust potential. But he was insanely good in the minutes he plays, and looks to be a very high ceiling athlete and passer. I was expecting someone with money to roll the dice on him this summer.

Lucien Agoume — If you just want a good DM

If United think Camara is too risky, and don’t want to spend Ederson/Stiller money, I think Lucien Agoume is about as reliable and low-risk as it gets. Arsenal was looking into him as a backup plan before securing the signings of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, and I think he’d help United a lot.

He might be a bit too pure DM for my tastes, but if they’re moving Bruno Fernandes deeper permanently and extending Kobbie Mainoo, that profile will make more sense than a box-to-boxer.

João Palhinha — Don’t do that

Previously linked to United, though more recently linked to Tottenham. My advice to both teams is: Don’t. Even in his previous season for Fulham that got Bayern Munich to buy him, he was a pure ball-winner who contributed nothing else. No one should pay a fee for him. A Premier League team should make Bayern pay them to take him off their hands.

More news and transfer rumours

• Speaking of “Man United buys solid squad player for too much money,” here’s an Ollie Watkins rumour.

• Hugo Ekitike is now officially a Liverpool player. Though apparently this has not completely taken them out of the running for…

• Alexander Isak. Such a thing would likely require both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nuñez to be sold for significant fees, but Fab says this saga is not over.

• Here’s Marcus Rashford holding up a Barcelona shirt, and good for him. This seems like a genuine childhood dream type of thing and I’m happy he’ll get to hang this shirt up in his office and show his grandkids. I hope he’s actually allowed to, you know, get registered into the Barcelona squad.

• AC Milan is kind of cooking this window. I really like their move at right back to sell Emerson Royal and replace him with Wesley from Flamengo. I like their move to sell left back Theo Hernandez and replace him with Pervis Estupiñan just as much. They’ll probably get their own longer dedicated piece here depending on what happens with their CM and forward negotiations.

• Fulham are interested in signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea, which would make a lot of sense for all parties.

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