Still to decide: Romano issues Man Utd twist on £31.5m-rated brute, Ten Hag needs him - opinion

Manchester United‘s stance on midfield target Yves Bissouma has taken a fresh direction.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who has stated in his column for Caught Offside that the Malian midfielder remains on the Red Devils’ radar.

The Italian has given further detail as to United’s present stance on the 25-year-old, revealing: “There was much talk about Yves Bissouma a few months ago, but it’s gone a little quiet recently.

“Arsenal have been following him for months but the priority is to understand if they can complete the Youri Tielemans deal, while Manchester United have yet to decide who will be the final priority target of the midfield. As I’ve written before, it could be more likely that they pursue Frenkie de Jong, but there are challenges with that deal.”

As Romano states, there was “much talk” about £31.5m-rated brute Bissouma a few months ago, but it’s a move which has taken a back seat whilst the likes of De Jong are eyed as priority targets.

Taking that assertion for what it is, United have inadvertently made a decision by placing the Barcelona midfielder as a primary target.

Whether Ten Hag will decide to sign two midfielders this summer remains to be seen, but as it stands, it seems as though De Jong is the main focus for the club.

If United were to sign the Mali international from Brighton, they would have an unbelievably sound defensive option in central midfield, with Bissouma’s match averages of 2.13 tackles and 2.34 interceptions placing him in the 89th and 86th percentiles respectively amongst positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, as per FBRef.

Even if Ten Hag is to secure the signing of De Jong, Bissouma would still be an advisable transfer, as he could