Manchester United are considering a £68m move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze this summer but have been warned the midfielder could be a “passenger” in midfield.
United currently sit 14th in the Premier League after a miserable campaign which has seen Ruben Amorim replace Erik ten Hag as manager but their poor performances and results continue under the Portuguese boss.
There remains hope of a trophy and possible Champions League football next season through Europa League glory as the Red Devils prepare for a semi-final against Athletic Club, with the carrot of competing in Europe’s showcase competition huge for potential new recruits and for those tasked with rebuilding the squad thanks to the money they will receive as a result.
Amorim wants to put his own stamp on the squad having struggled to implement his philosophy and system having arrived in November, and while a new striker is thought to be a priority, midfielders will also be high on the agenda amid doubts over the futures of Eriksen and Casemiro.
Eriksen’s contract expires in the summer and the Denmark international admitted last month that he’s “prepared to find something new”.
“I haven’t thought about it that much,” Eriksen said when asked about his future. It’s the same principle as last time, the contract expires in the summer, so in my head, I’m prepared to find something new. I’m actually fine with that, whatever it is, it’s not something I’ve decided yet.”
Casemiro meanwhile has another year left on his deal come the end of the season but United hope to be fielding offers in order to get his £350,000 per week salary off their wage bill.
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A report on Wednesday claimed the Red Devils have identified Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton as their ‘ideal’ replacements, but former United scout Mick Brown claims they’re also looking at Eze as an option.
“Man United have been watching Eberechi Eze,” Brown told Football Insider. “They like what he can do and think he could add something to Ruben Amorim’s side.
“He’s the type of player where if you get the right players around him and get him the ball in dangerous areas, he’s going to make an impact.
“He’s down under Glasner that he can play in the 3-4-2-1 system which Amorim likes. But he operates in a certain way that if you’re expecting him to be involved in every aspect of the game, you’re going to be disappointed.
“He’s not going to work back, make tackles and then drive you up the pitch. If we assume United aren’t going to dominate possession of the ball, I think he becomes a passenger.
“So it’s a concern that he’s not quite as consistent as they’d want him to be. He’s certainty a talented player and there are lots of positives to his game and reasons all these clubs are interested in him.
“But he’s not going to be the player to make a real difference for Man United at the moment.”
One deal the Red Devils have already got over the linewill see 18-year-old strikerEnzo Kana-Biyik follow in Paul Pogba’s footsteps by swapping Le Havre for United, according to Parisien.
L’Equipe announced on Wednesday that the club was in ‘advanced talks’ with his representatives and now it’s claimed they have ‘already obtained the agreement of the player and his family’.
Monaco and Marseille were also thought to be interested but United have had ‘the last word’.
The report claims United plan to sendKana-Biyik to FC Lausanne-Sport, a club that also belongs to INEOS, on a season-long loan before bringing him into the first-team squad at Old Trafford.
