Erik ten Hag might only need £15m to complete Manchester United midfield this summer

Manchester United completed their whirlwind swoop for Marcel Sabitzer within 11 chaotic hours on January deadline day and - inside an equally frantic 90 minutes on Thursday night - the Austrian dropped the biggest hint yet he could be perfect to solve two lingering concerns.

It was only when Andy Carroll thundered into a reckless challenge on Christian Eriksen during the FA Cup tie with Reading that United were forced into the market. Sabitzer was earmarked, pursued and signed within a blink of the eye as Erik ten Hag once again underlined his squad-building savvy.

From that point on, the blueprint was simple; to team Sabitzer with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as United continued their charge, at that juncture, on four fronts. However, due to injury setbacks and Casemiro seeing red not once but twice, they had to wait 10 weeks for that opportunity.

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Sabitzer clocked up his 13th appearance for United against Sevilla and more than made his mark with a brace before the late drama unfolded. Giving up a two-goal lead as well as losing first-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane to injury drummed up more questions than answers for Ten Hag.

However, it will not be lost on the intuitive Dutchman what Sabitzer did with Old Trafford watching as United keep one eye on the upcoming window. With another central midfielder on the shopping list - as well as Harry Kane - that first player might already be in the building and a familiar source has helped unearth him.

"He makes the players around him better," declared former United captain Roy Keane when showering praise on Casemiro earlier in the season and not for the only time. "That's what great players do."

Casemiro