Transfer News: Manchester United eye Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as Frenkie de Jong alternative
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke via GiveMeSport (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United will decide to move for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic if they fail to sign Frenkie de Jong in the summer transfer window. They are planning to reinforce their midfield this summer and have lined up some suitable options.
Man United are looking to back Erik ten Hag by improving their delicate midfield this summer. De Jong is identified as their top target for that reason, although there are concerns about whether a move can be finalised or not. That is because he has already expressed how Barcelona is his “dream club”, which does raise doubts about a potential transfer.
As such, the Red Devils have set up a fall-back option in the form of Milinkovic-Savic if they fail to succeed in their attempt to bring de Jong to Old Trafford. Signing the Lazio midfielder would be very costly, with his current contract only expiring in the summer of 2024.
Milinkovic-Savic, a good choice?
Those who have watched both these players would be puzzled by this piece of information as they are quite different in terms of their profiles. After all, de Jong is more of a holding midfielder, whereas Milinkovic-Savic naturally plays as a box to box midfielder.
De Jong has been playing as a box to box midfielder at Barca, although it would be surprising to see him play in that manner if he reunites with ten Hag. After all, the Dutch star used to ply his trade as a defensive midfielder in a two-man pivot system during his days at Ajax.
Our needs also align with the way de Jong played in Amsterdam, as we lack someone who is technical enough to control the midfield following the departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba. Milinkovic-Savic is certainly a world-class midfielder, which is indicative of him being linked with us in the past.
However, signing someone with the wrong profile is the last thing we need, looking at the mistakes we made in the past. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is the most recent example, with Pogba and Juan Mata being some of the others. Wan-Bissaka has always been a defensive-minded full-back, but he was used as an attacking one, causing his struggles.
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Mata is a number ten in profile, but we never played him in his best position. Pogba is in a similar boat as we had often struggled to find a suitable role for him. Signing Milinkovic-Savic and making the same mistake would be terrible, especially when we are not in a place to afford any more blunders
Hence, it would be best if the board would reassess their stance and discuss with ten Hag when it comes to identified options. In an ideal scenario, signing de Jong and Milinkovic-Savic and pairing them together would be a great prospect indeed, although they may not be feasible due to the expenses involved.
