Manchester United midfield worries bring summer transfer into question

Fred was by no means the most technically-gifted footballer to play for Manchester United, but the Brazilian would be of good use to Erik ten Hag in midfield considering United’s current state.

He left United for Turkish side Fenerbahce earlier this summer for a fee rising up to €15million, having signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 for £52m. The 30-year-old often came under heavy scrutiny in his early years from fans and pundits as he lacked the ball-playing ability of a top Premier League midfielder, though that seemed to change after Ralf Rangnick’s interim manager spell, with Fred also showcasing his best performances under current boss Ten Hag.

In United’s defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League, Ten Hag opted for a midfield trio of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, who were outplayed and outfought in the middle of the park.

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Eriksen’s lack of awareness in midfield saw him lose the ball cheaply which led to a Bayern corner. From that corner, the German side were given a penalty for an Eriksen handball, before Harry Kane fired home from the spot to make it 3-1. Eriksen won none of his five midfield duels and though he has the on-ball quality to unlock defences when given time, he has often shown his vulnerability in big games when United are under pressure.

Fred’s best attributes were without the ball, specifically winning ground duels and intercepting to start attacks, and there’s no denying he was trusted by Ten Hag. The midfielder started in both of United’s domestic cup finals last season at Wembley, though Eriksen was injured for the