To put an end to Frenkie de Jong saga Manchester United could Sign Liverpool transfer target

One exceptional midfielder should be high on Manchester United’s list of prospective signings now that they are beginning to consider alternatives to Frenkie de Jong.

As the issue surrounding Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong continues to go on, Manchester United finally appears to be looking into other midfield options. The Red Devils’ primary aim this summer has been the international from the Netherlands, but a deal has stalled due to his lack of interest in moving to Old Trafford.

The Catalan giants and United had already agreed on a £71 million transfer fee, but United is now actively considering other options as De Jong continues to express uncertainty about possibly joining the team.

Adrien Rabiot, a midfielder for Juventus, is one of those additional options. Earlier this week, a deal between the two clubs in the neighborhood of £15 million was reached. Erik ten Hag, though, is probably going to be interested in at least one other midfielder because he aims to add more depth abd quality to that position.

De Jong would be the ideal candidate to fill that additional midfield position, but if a deal to bring him in can’t be made, United will turn their focus to a player with a comparable resume. Given this, it’s surprising that the team isn’t looking to sign Matheus Nunes from Sporting CP.

A number of teams in Europe have expressed interest in the midfielder, with Liverpool the most recent team to be predicted to make a move for him. But the Merseysiders haven’t yet expressed any interest, and they probably won’t until the summer of 2019.

With Nunes having many of the qualities the team needs in their midfield, there may be a window of opportunity for United to make a move. He can play a variety of passes and has undeniable technical skill, so that’s a start.

Sporting frequently employs variations of a 3-4-3 structure, and Nunes—who is typically a member of a midfield two—is crucial to generating play inside it. The fact that United lost to Brighton on Sunday served as a reminder that this season, they can’t and won’t be able to build through a midfield partnership of Fred and Scott McTominay, but Nunes might provide more in that area.

Additionally, the 23-year-old is a superb ball carrier. He had a 3.11 progressive runs per 90 last year, according to Wyscout. No central midfielder who played more than 1000 minutes in Liga Portugal averaged more. In contrast, De Jong only averaged 2.39, while McTominay and Fred only averaged 1.23 and 0.58 respectively at United.

In addition to helping him carry the ball through the lines, Nunes’ outstanding dribbling is essential to his ability to withstand intense pressure in the middle of the field. He excels at maneuvering himself out of danger and into space as defenders try to close him down so that he can pass the ball to teammates nearby.

The highly regarded midfielder would reportedly cost roughly £50 million to wrest from Sporting, which, given that United was prepared to shell out over £70 million for De Jong, makes the investment reasonable. The Red Devils’ chances of finalizing a deal this summer are arguably their best, given the interest other teams have shown in the player.