Man Utd may need another signing in midfield and Chelsea might have pointed the way with an unexpected move for another Premier League player.
While Manchester United are waiting to find out the full extent of Manuel Ugarte’s knee ligament injury, it looks certain that Michael Carrick will be without him for the majority of next season as he looks to reshape his midfield.
Ugarte could have been sold this summer to fund a third midfield arrival, but that option is now off the table and United might have to head back to the drawing board in the centre of the pitch.
They continue to work on a deal for Mateus Fernandes, but if they reach an agreement with West Ham, who will need to lower their £85million asking price first, they will still be heading into next season with a young, relatively inexperienced midfield.
It could be that Fernandes partners Kobbie Mainoo, but that would put together two 21-year-olds in the centre of the pitch. United have agreed a deal to sign Ederson, who turns 27 next month, but he hasn’t played in the Premier League before.
Beyond that, Mason Mount played in a deeper role towards the end of last season, but has had injury issues during his Old Trafford career, while 19-year-old Tyler Fletcher is probably next cab off the rank from the academy.
Given those options, United will almost certainly feel they need a third midfielder for a season that sees them competing on four fronts and looks more likely to feature 60 games than the 40 they have just played. The question is how they go about that.
They will receive around £6.4million in compensation from FIFA for Ugarte’s injury, as it occurred during the World Cup, but that won’t go far. United could look for a loan move as a short-term option, but the players available for that kind of deal would be limited.
Perhaps there is a solution within the Premier League. Chelsea have had an £8million bid for Granit Xhaka rejected by Sunderland, with the 33-year-old reportedly keen to reunite with his former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.
Xhaka enjoyed a sensational season with the Black Cats and remains an excellent Premier League midfielder. He could slot into one of those two deep roles in United’s midfield and bring leadership to what could be a young group of midfielders.
He was Sunderland’s captain last season and played in all but four of their Premier League games, helping to drive the club to an unexpected seventh-place finish. When he was fit, he played almost every minute for the club.
Alonso is keen to have Xhaka with him again after praising his leadership at Leverkusen, and that is an area United might need to look at this summer, with Casemiro’s departure leaving a void in that department, especially in the middle of the pitch.
A deal for Xhaka might not excite supporters, but it could make an awful lot of sense now that United must do without Ugarte, who can’t play for the club, but can’t be sold either.
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