Manchester United can give Bruno Fernandes a new role after midfield signings

Manchester United could sign two midfielders this summer but neither are the defensive-minded player it has looked like the squad is crying out for.

The absence of a holding midfielder has held the side back in the last couple of seasons and the departure of Nemanja Matic — the only player in the squad who could have fulfilled that position — looks to have left a sizeable gap.

United have held an interest in Declan Rice but have been priced out of a move this window and Kalvin Phillips now looks set to head to Manchester City instead. United have been linked with Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante, whose best days are beginning to look like they might be in the rear-view mirror.

READ MORE: United are taking risks to transform the team in the transfer window

But Erik ten Hag has put his former Ajax protégé Frenkie de Jong at the top of his midfield wish-list. It's a deal United may not have thought was possible a few months ago, but Barcelona need the cash and De Jong has become receptive to the idea of a reunion with Ten Hag.

It's entirely possible United will sign De Jong — as long as they can finally make a breakthrough with Barcelona — and also snap up free agent Christian Eriksen. They are two midfielders who love possession and while De Jong can sit deep, he is no destroyer in the mould of Rodri or Fabinho.

Maybe Ten Hag will look to fill that position next summer, but for now he wants control. United's need for a defensive midfielder under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick was evident because they didn't control games. Too often they gave possession away and were too easy to play through, caught out of position.

Ten Hag will introduce a structure that should make that less of an issue, even without an enforcer in