Man Utd ready to pay £100m to sign new midfielder

When Casemiro announced his decision to leave Manchester United at the end of his contract it saddened supporters at Old Trafford.

It was a remarkable season for the Brazilian who defied the doubters to become one of the Premier League’s star midfielders. He scored nine times, a career high across a single season.

Not usually a huge goalscorer, the Red Devils will need to find a way to replace his threat in both halves of the pitch. That is easier said than done, of course, but fortunately Michael Carrick and Co have moved swiftly to secure one replacement.

While not yet announced by the club, all signs suggest that Ederson will sign from Atalanta in the forthcoming weeks. That said, United are not content with just one new midfielder and plan to sign another one or two.

Mateus Fernandes is a key target but who else is on the club’s radar?

Man United ready to pay big money to sign new midfielder

With Ederson’s move to the Premier League all but announced, United are moving onto their next big target with Mateus Fernandes thought to be a primary target for Jason Wilcox and Co.

Yet, will they actually get him? According to reports, the player is keen on the move and fellow Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes has reportedly even given the United hierarchy his vote of confidence in the player.

That said, he boasts an £80m asking price and they face intense compeition from Premier League champions Arsenal.

The same can be said of Sandro Tonali. The Newcastle United man could follow Anthony Gordon out of the exit door this summer with the Gunners and United primed to make moves for the midfielder.

That’s according to reports in Italy this weekend that suggest the Toon have slapped a £100m asking price on Tonali in a bid to keep him at St James’ Park.

However, the message is that Arsenal, United and Manchester City are all ready to come to the table with an offer matching that valuation.

What might help United in their pursuit is that City view Elliot Anderson as their dream target and Arsenal are focusing their efforts on Fernandes instead.

How Tonali compares to Mateus Fernandes

As West Ham were relegated from the Premier League, Fernandes was one of the outstanding midfielders in the entire division. He was a rare beacon of hope for the Irons but was unfortuantely unable to keep them in the division.

He certainly made his impact, though. Compared to U21 players in similar positions across Europe’s top seven leagues, he ranked first for possession won, defensive duels won and interceptions. He was also second for progressive passes completed.

An incredibly progressive player by nature, the 21-year-old has already earned comparisons to a certain Declan Rice. This would be a mighty fine signing, alright.

Yet, aged 25, Tonali is certainly better right now and would be a spectacular addition to Carrick’s midfield. Celebrated as “one of the best midfielders in Europe” by Newcastle reporter Joel Bland, he’s Premier League-proven and he’s been doing it in the Champions League for a good few years now.

Yet, how does he compare to Fernandes statistically?

Well, in some key metrics for players in their positions, they do actually rank very closely for plenty of numbers, notably their progressive actions.

Fernandes is often viewed as one of the best with regards to carrying the ball and not being dispossessed so to see Tonali closely aligning with him there is hugely impressive.

United may well have already signed duel winner in Ederson but as they seek to replace Casemiro in more ways than one, Tonali ticks a lot of boxes.

Compared to the West Ham man, he was secure with his defensive actions, winning more ground duels and completing more tackles and interceptions.

Fernandes will go onto have a mighty fine future in the game but at this moment in time, Tonali is the better and more complete player. He’s also a great deal more proven.