Manchester United could make an audacious swoop to fill the Casemiro sized hole in their ranks this summer, it has been claimed, by signing a man likened to Arsenal star Declan Rice.
Mainoo the main man
There is no doubt that going forwards, Kobbie Mainoo will be the main man in Erik ten Hag's midfield. The talented teen is already a full England international and looks set for stardom, while he is one of just three Manchester United players not up for transfer ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
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But beyond him, there are question marks. Sofyan Amrabat's loan spell has come to an end, and he will return to Fiorentina as things stand, while Casemiro has been strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
There are few other alternatives for Ten Hag, with only Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay the options in the middle of the park.for the Dutchman to call upon. As a result, the club have turned to the transfer market, and are reportedly ready to make their move.
New midfielder in United's sights
Now, a fresh report has linked Manchester United with a move for Bayern Munich stalwart Leon Goretzka as they look to reinvent their midfield options. The German has been a mainstay in the Bayern side in recent seasons, but the emergence of Alexander Pavlovic has seen his importance diminish somewhat.
Goretzka drew plenty of praise from Bayern chief Christoph Freund, who labelled him a "top player" and "leader" less than 12 months ago.
"Leon is an absolute top player, which he has consistently proven at the highest level over many years. In the past few weeks, he has shown strong performances in various positions, playing with a broken hand – that shows his great mentality. Leon is a leader who always leads the way on the pitch and takes responsibility even in difficult situations.”
A no-nonsense midfielder, Goretzka grabbed six goals and seven assists in 30 Bundesliga outings last season, and statistically speaking is similar to Arsenal's Declan Rice (according to stat site fbref), who Manchester United were keen to sign before he made the move to north London.
Declan Rice vs Leon Goretzka (23/24 domestic season)
Declan Rice
Leon Goretzka
Appearances
38
30
Goals + assists
15
13
Pass accuracy
88.9%
88.9%
Tackles and interceptions per 90
3.55
2.89
Progressive passes per 90
7.77
7.07
Aerial duels won %
47.6%
55.4%
The 29-year-old still has two years left to run on his £300,000 a week deal in Bavaria, but Football Transfers report that he has "been made available for a move this window" as Bayern look to freshen up their side under Vincent Kompany.
Goretzka himself may also be keen on a departure, having missed out on Germany's EURO 2024 squad and seemingly out of favour with the national side.
The report continues that Manchester United would be willing to offer around 40m euros (£34m) for his services this summer, which could prove a tempting offer for Kompany and co. if they are really keen to get rid of the German ahead of the new season.
United, meanwhile, would be getting an excellent addition to their midfield engine room who would certainly prove more mobile and physical than Casemiro, and may allow Mainoo to flourish further at Old Trafford.
