Manchester United will attempt to sign a box-to-box central midfielder following the acquisition of Fred. United confirmed the £52million addition of the Brazilian on Thursday as a replacement for the retired Michael Carrick and Jose Mourinho is keen to further bolster the midfield with a younger option as Marouane Fellaini’s exit looms.
Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been of interest to the Premier League side but it was revealed last month the Italian club’s asking price has dissuaded the United, who also admire Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini. United have focused on the Italian market intensely in recent months, having scouted Napoli holding midfielder Jorginho before they plumped for Fred as Carrick’s replacement.
United have a surfeit of central midfield options following Andreas Pereira and Timothy Fosu-Mensah’s returns from loan spells with Valencia and Crystal Palace. Paul Pogba is expected to stay beyond the summer transfer window and Mourinho also has Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Scott McTominay to call upon.
However, Pereira is out of contract next year and his future is uncertain after defying Mourinho to spend a second successive campaign on loan while Fosu-Mensah’s chances of establishing himself in his preferred midfield role are remote amid interest in Pellegrini.