Sports
Man Utd ready move to sign one of the “best in the world”
Things have been hectic at Manchester United over the last week. The Red Devils sacked Ruben Amorim on Monday and are yet to name a caretaker manager until the end of the season, with Darren Fletcher set to take charge of the team for the time being.
Regardless of who takes charge at Old Trafford, one thing seems certain: Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system is no more. That means players are likely to be better profiled, an example being Bruno Fernandes operating as a number 10, which we saw in Fletcher’s first game in charge against Burnley.
Even so, the United captain’s future could well come into question again this summer, although they might well be lining up a replacement for him.
Man United target remarkable Fernandes replacement
After coming close to leaving in 2025, Fernandes’ future is by no means clear at Old Trafford. There are already reports which claim his teammates are worried about their captain’s possible departure this summer.
Well, it seems like United are already looking ahead to a post-Fernandes world and could be ready to back a new manager by making a surprising new signing.
According to a report from Football Transfers, the club are ‘ready to make a blockbuster move’ to sign Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer, for whom they ‘have a long-standing admiration.’
It might not seem as far-fetched an idea as you may think. The report suggests that the Blues are ‘open to selling’ their key attacker, though he won’t come cheap by any means. His expected transfer value currently sits at £87m if they want to get this deal over the line.
How Palmer compares to Fernandes at their peak
There is no doubting the talent and skill that Palmer possesses. Regarded as one of the Premier League’s biggest stars, he is “the complete package” according to Statman Dave, and would add plenty of quality and dynamism to United’s squad.
The 23-year-old, who hails from Wythenshawe in Manchester, has a sensational record for Chelsea. In 109 games for the club, he’s found the back of the net on 47 occasions and assisted a further 29 goals. Many of those games, he has operated as a number 10, in similar areas to where Fernandes affects the game from.
This term hasn’t been Palmer’s best due to injury but his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge saw him shoulder the responsibility of the whole team, racking up 33 goals and assists in as many Premier League games. He was sensational and has continued to show that form since.
As good as the Chelsea number 10 is, stepping into the shoes of Fernandes at Old Trafford would certainly be a tough task. Back in 2020, teammate Diogo Dalot tipped him to “be a legend” at Old Trafford, and it is fair to say he’s lived up to that.
He is now 309 games into his career as a Red Devils player, and has scored 103 goals and assisted 94. The Portugal star has reached double-figure goal involvements in a United shirt in every campaign he’s played for the club, already doing so this season with 13 to his name.
However, Palmer certainly has the ability to replace Fernandes in the long-run, as the numbers from 2023/24 prove. During that campaign he proved why Owen Hargreaves stated that his “finishing is up there with some of the best players in the world”.
During that campaign, the Chelsea number 10 averaged 0.89 goal-creating actions and 2.47 key passes per 90 minutes compared to Fernandes’ 0.55 goal-creating actions and 3.29 key passes each game. From a goalscoring point of view, the England international could be a big upgrade.
|
Palmer and Fernandes key stats in 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Palmer |
Fernandes |
|
Goals & assists |
1.13 |
0.52 |
|
Key passes |
2.47 |
3.29 |
|
Progressive passes |
6.77 |
8.58 |
|
Goal-creating actions |
0.89 |
0.55 |
|
Progressive carries |
4.02 |
2.49 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
We are talking about two of the most efficient final third creators in the Premier League, as the numbers and underlying stats show. If United were to sign Palmer as their Fernandes replacement, it does feel like he has the talent to step up and replace the United great.
Of course, it would be an expensive deal to do, but for a player of Palmer’s quality, it seems like a good way to spend that sort of money. It seems fitting for a Mancunian to return to his home city and carry on the mantle of Fernandes at Old Trafford.
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