Man Utd backed to re-sign ‘mini Federico Valverde’ who’s ‘got it all’ in Casemiro replacement swoop | OneFootball

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has urged his old club to bring James Garner back to Old Trafford at some point in the future, after his impressive performances at Everton this season.

Garner came through the Red Devils academy and enjoyed loan stints at Watford and Nottingham Forest before making a £15million switch to Premier League rivals Everton in 2022.

The versatile midfielder, 25, has emerged as a key figure in the Everton XI during David Moyes’ second tenure on Merseyside, registering eight goal contributions this season as the Toffees push for European football during the remaining weeks of the campaign.

Garner’s impressive performances at club level also saw him rewarded with a first England call-up last month, with the 25-year-old featuring in both matches against Uruguay and Japan and labelled the Three Lions’ “mini [Federico] Valverde” by Tuchel due to his versatility and high-intensity performances in midfield.

Man Utd‘s need to bolster their midfield is an obvious one, with Casemiro already having agreed to a summer exit, and Butt admits that it would be surprised to see Garner return to Old Trafford in the not-to-distant future – although a deal this summer might be tough to pull off.

“I don’t see why he couldn’t be back at United,” Butt told Paddy Power when speaking about Garner. “He’s performing well, he’s playing for a big club with a big expectation with their crowd.

“Obviously they’re not expected to go and win the Premier League but they’re expected to win and they’ve got passionate support.

“So he plays under pressure every week, he knows Man United and yeah, he’s doing amazingly well now.

“He’s got to do it again next season, it’s a bit soon to go and pay big money for him now, but I’m confident he can go and do it.”

Garner a different player to the one that left Man Utd

Butt, who helped oversee Garner’s development during his time in charge of United’s academy, feels the midfielder’s game has developed significantly since he quit Old Trafford for Everton.

He added: “At the time Jimmy wasn’t at the level to burst into United and play regularly. It wasn’t working so quite rightly he moved on and kick-started his career.

“Jimmy is a bit like the player I was. Not the most talented but his drive and desire to get to the top is up there with anybody I’ve seen.”

Garner’s recent performances for England have also seen the player put himself in contention for Tuchel’s final 26-man World Cup squad, and Butt is confident he could be on the plane for North America this summer.

“Jimmy Garner has done himself a massive, massive favour playing how he played,” he added. “He’s been phenomenal this season. He’s got it all, he can pass through the lines, he can defend, he can tackle, he can sprint.

“He’s like a poorer man’s version of Gerrard. Not as good as Gerrard, but he’s in that mould, he can do everything as a modern-day midfielder.

“He will definitely be going [to the World Cup] after that, he’s got his ticket on the plane.”