The Athletic: Man Utd missed out on signing ‘role model’ on free transfer; He would have complemented Mainoo
Manchester United had the opportunity to recruit Leon Goretzka on a free transfer, but chose to let it slip.
The Red Devils revamped their midfield in the summer after parting ways with Casemiro and losing Manuel Ugarte to injury.
They ended up buying Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48 million, triggering Youri Tielemans’ £35 million release clause, and securing Brighton’s Carlos Baleba on a £70 million deal.
However, these new acquisitions have yet to pay dividends, as the whole team has been in disarray since the start of the season, prompting Michael Carrick’s sacking on Thursday and Mauricio Pochettino’s imminent arrival.
Man Utd considered signing Leon Goretzka in the summer
In his latest article for The Athletic, Man Utd correspondent Laurie Whitwell explained how Carrick’s project swiftly collapsed.
The journalist identified Casemiro’s exit as one of the main reasons behind the shocking slide from last season. The Brazilian was an important figure in the middle of the park, as well as an aerial threat on set pieces, so his departure left voids that went unfilled.
Moreover, Whitwell insists that none of the three midfielders bought in the summer was at the top of the shortlist. Instead, Jason Wilcox and Co. were more interested in Elliot Anderson, Matheus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Aurelien Tchouameni, Alex Scott, and Ederson.
While United’s interest in the aforementioned midfielders has been well documented, the source adds another name in Goretzka, who was available on a free transfer after ending an eight-year collaboration with Bayern Munich. The 31-year-old was another option INEOS seriously considered
However, the Premier League giants were repelled by his age and wage demands, so they turned to other targets.
Why Goretzka could have been useful for Man United
Ironically, the German international ended up replacing one of Man Utd’s summer recruits. Aston Villa signed the experienced midfielder to fill the gap caused by Tielemans’ departure.
Both players were on target in Sunday’s fiery 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.
Goretzka, who is considered a ‘role model’ for his exemplary professionalism, is a natural box-to-box midfielder who offers important contributions in both phases of the game. One could argue that he’s a profile Man Utd have been lacking, especially with Casemiro gone.
In fact, he could have been an ideal teammate for Mainoo, who is gradually developing into a deep-lying midfielder and thus needs a dynamic profile alongside him.
| Percentiles (25/26 season) | Duel% | Poss won | Prog carries | Fwd passes | Fwd pass% | Key passes | Prog passes | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. Goretzka | 23.4 | 27.5 | 87.5 | 94.2 | 94.9 | 62.0 | 77.3 | 2147 |
| Y. Tielemans | 80.8 | 56.3 | 41.2 | 85.4 | 45.4 | 76.4 | 81.3 | 2033 |
| K. Mainoo | 41.0 | 41.5 | 60.7 | 67.8 | 92.4 | 53.0 | 19.7 | 1901 |
(Stats via DataMB)
Tielemans may have represented clever business from a financial standpoint, but he’s too similar to Mainoo for them to coexist in the double pivot, especially with Bruno Fernandes operating in front of them.
Baleba has been a rising force in the Premier League, but he’s been dealing with recurring injury problems, and even when fit, he’s considered more of a midfield enforcer than a box-to-box midfielder who can elegantly drive the ball forward like Goretzka.
Finally, Santos’ role in the tactical setup remains unclear, as he has yet to excel in any area. Hence, perhaps INEOS would have been off saving the £48 million paid to Chelsea and instead betting on Goretzka, who was there for the taking.
