Manchester United have not had bang for their buck with the kind of regularity nor incisiveness befitting an outfit of their stature and ambition, but INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are striving to change Old Trafford for the better.
Joshua Zirkzee, signed: 23 years old and awarded Serie A Young Player of the Year for 2023/24, was instrumental up front as Bologna belied expectations to qualify for the Champions League.
Leny Yoro? Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain make up a list of lucrative suitors that bowed out of the race for one of Europe's hottest prospects. All three will be plying their trade in Europe's elite club competition next year; Man United will not. But it was the Red Devils who won the race for the 18-year-old centre-back, signing him for £59m from LOSC Lille.
Much of the flotsam has been cleared. Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane have been shown the door after their contracts expired, freeing up some collective £590k-per-week earnings from the wage bill. United will not magically turn into a unit of Manchester City's efficacy and machine-like coherence overnight, as if by wishful metamorphosis, but INEOS are striving to turn the tide.
The Theatre, once a place of dreams, has presented a nightmare for players, supporters and management over the past interminable years, with pockets of silver-laden success unable to change the narrative of a prestigious outfit having fallen by the wayside.
Things are changing. United, whisper it quietly, are back.
Man United pushing to complete midfield signing
Casemiro, pocketing £350k-per-week, received scathing criticism last season as he suffered at the epicentre of some calamitous performances, and so it's no surprise that Man United are pushing to sign a new specialist No. 6.
Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte has been the No. 1 target, and with the Ligue 1 champions turning their transfer lens toward Benfica to sign Joao Neves, the route seemed clear, only for PSG's €70m (£59m) asking price for the Uruguayan slowing negotiations down.
As such, Correio da Manha – via Sport Witness – are reporting that focus might be shifted to Sporting Lisbon's Morten Hjulmand, Ugarte's thriving successor in Ruben Amorim's team.
Hjulmand has an €80m (£68m) release clause in his contract but it's believed that United will seek to present a more affordable package to the Liga Portugal champions.
What Morten Hjulmand would bring to Old Trafford
Hjulmand likely silenced Man United supporters across England after his thunderous goal spoiled the Three Lions' lead in their Euro 2024 group game against Denmark.
The 25-year-old is known as a tough-tackling titan but averaged 1.2 key passes per game in Germany this summer, also completing 90% of his passes for the Danes.
Journalist Zach Lowy said that Hjulmand would "be an upgrade on Casemiro at United" one year ago, and he has since continued to go from strength to strength, having triumphed in the Portuguese top flight following his €20m (£17m) plus bonuses transfer from Lecce in Serie A last summer.
A confident and progressive passer, as per FBref, Hjulmand ranked among the top 17% of midfielders in Liga Portugal last season for pass completion, the top 18% for passes attempted and the top 14% for carries per 90, highlighting the kind of ball-playing sharpness that would enhance Erik Ten Hag's United team.
His mix of tactical intelligence, composure and combativeness makes him a tailor-made fit for life in the Premier League, and he might even prove to be a better fit than Ugarte.
How Hjulmand compares to Ugarte
Casemiro is unlikely to restore himself to a level that reflects his salary, and INEOS would be wise to ship him on this summer, especially when considering the damage it might do to an exciting talent such as Kobbie Mainoo.
Matches played
24
Matches started
24
Goals
3
Assists
1
Pass completion
87%
Touches per game
49.0
Key passes per game
0.6
Ball recoveries per game
4.0
Dribbles per game
1.3
Tackles per game
2.0
Duels won per game
5.2
Mainoo, hailed as a "world-class player in the making" by content creator Liam Canning, triumphed in cementing himself as a first-team regular last season, crowning his wonderful breakout campaign with a goal in the FA Cup final victory over Pep Guardiola's City.
An athletic and technically sound midfielder, the 19-year-old's movement and decision-making as he prowls through the midfield suggest he has a rich future up ahead, but he does need a steely anchor to partner up with, and Hjulmand could be that man.
Ugarte might be the preferred pick but Ten Hag and his transfer team must seriously consider opting for the alternative, for he has been described as a more composed and considered option than Ugarte by Lowy, boasting a more complete skillset besides.
Speaking of Sporting's (then) new recruit, the journalist said: "He's an absolute monster when it comes to recovering possession, but he's far less reckless than Ugarte was."
Ugarte's tough-tackling nature is one of his glowing attributes but also led to his somewhat insignificant role under Luis Enrique last season, benched for each of PSG's four knockout matches and hooked at the hour mark during group stage games against Newcastle United and AC Milan after collecting a first-half yellow card.
Given that he won only 32% of his contested duels in the Champions League, perhaps it's not surprising that he was untrusted on the biggest stage – not least after having previously shown his 'reckless' nature after needlessly crunching into Bukayo Saka during his days at Sporting…
Hjulmand, in contrast, was instrumental in Sporting toppling the Benfica/FC Porto monopoly in Portugal for the second time in four years, winning 56% of his ground duels and averaging 1.4 fouls per game.
Ugarte fared better on the domestic front but still saw himself pipped by his Danish counterpart, winning 53% of his duels and averaging 1.8 fouls per match.
Ten Hag will be confident that he can find success with either anchor added to his team, but Hjulmand might be the one to sway the odds further in United's favour and must be signed.
Talks held: Man Utd moving for "monster" who'd make Amad unplayable
The incredible talent would help the youngster become even more dangerous.
ByJack Salveson HolmesJul 26, 2024
