Man Utd copying Liverpool with midfield rebuild – but Red Devils need more | OneFootball

Manchester United are two-thirds of the way through a midfield rebuild that, refreshingly, has taken everyone by surprise. But the final piece of their transfer jigsaw is most likely to determine its success.

The Red Devils have confirmed the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea while Youri Tielemans is due in Manchester on Tuesday for a medical before he completes a £35million move from Aston Villa.

That nobody saw either transfer coming before Ornstein declared them almost done is a welcome change in an era when such deals tend to be preceded by endless speculation, and for United after years of struggling – or refusing – to keep anything under wraps.

Of course, Santos was not supposed to be United’s first signing of the summer. A £38million deal was agreed for Ederson to join from Atalanta, which was held up by the World Cup, and ended – definitely for now, probably permanently – by the Brazilian’s medical.

United, though sympathetic to Ederson’s plight, moved on quickly, with Tielemans rather than Santos the player most similar in profile and fee.

All of which leaves United in good shape for this stage of the summer – but still short.

Signing two midfielders puts United back where they were in terms of numbers. Casemiro has departed and they hoped Manuel Ugarte would follow, but he looks set to be indisposed anyway after knacking his knee at the World Cup.

United pushed their luck last season and with a return to the Champions League increasing their workload by perhaps as much as a third, they need one more midfielder after Tielemans.

Mercifully, after specialists were all the rage for a while, midfielders are getting harder to pigeonhole, the best ones able to operate as effectively out of possession as in. But United certainly need an alternative to Santos as the more defensive foil for Tielemans or Kobbie Mainoo.

Aurelien Tchouameni was linked with United before he chose to stay at Real Madrid, but the midfielder’s replacement in the France side at the World Cup could fit the bill too at United.

Manu Kone has been excellent at the heart of Didier Deschamps’ engine room, building on a fine second season at Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini.

Recruiting a standout at a major tournament always raises eyebrows but Kone has been on many radars since he was at Borussia Monchengladbach. And Gasperini admits Roma may have to sell for the sake of their accounts, especially since his stock has never been this high.

Before the World Cup, Roma may have entertained bids of around £43million for a player they signed two years ago for £15million, but any offer now would likely have to start with a five.

Which should not to be restrictive to United. If they have Kone in their sights, the Red Devils could complete their midfield rebuild for close to the £130million they were quoted for Elliot Anderson.

There would be echoes of the remodelling Liverpool completed of their midfield in 2023. When Jude Bellingham strayed beyond their means, the money set aside for the then-Dortmund star instead paid for Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

When United slid out of contention for Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, there were concerns over a perceived lack of intent in what is their most important job in a decisive summer.

With quality and quantity, Santos, Tielemans and a midfield powerhouse, be it Kone or another, could represent another sensible window’s work from a club not accustomed to operating in such a manner. But United cannot be satisfied until the final piece of their midfield jigsaw is in place.