Manchester United's midfielders have a golden opportunity to impress this summer, with Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes still on leave after their Euro 2024 exploits.
Mainoo was instrumental in England's journey to the final in Germany, while Fernandes helped Portugal reach the quarter-finals. Both players, along with other Manchester United squad members who participated in the summer tournament, are entitled to a three-week break.
Consequently, neither player was on the flight that departed Manchester Airport for Los Angeles last Wednesday. This leaves manager Erik ten Hag without two key components of his strongest midfield during the US tour.
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Last season saw Mainoo emerge as a breakout star for United, transitioning from a hopeful first-team player to a guaranteed starter. His significance to the team is now comparable to that of Fernandes'.
In Ten Hag's preferred three-man midfield, Mainoo and Fernandes typically occupy two of the spots, leaving only the defensive midfield position up for grabs ahead of next month's transfer window closure. With Casemiro's form dipping alarmingly last season, United are keen to find a replacement, reports the Manchester Evening News .
If United manages to secure a defensive midfield specialist, they will complete Ten Hag's ideal midfield trio alongside Mainoo and Fernandes. This would relegate players like Mason Mount , Christian Eriksen, and Scott McTominay to back-up roles.
After securing Mount in the previous transfer window despite interest from Liverpool , expectations were that he'd slot into the number eight role at United, taking over from Eriksen who had been with the squad since the year before. Mount was brought on board to inject dynamism and bridge the gap between defense and attack.
Mount, who carved out a niche for himself as an attacking midfielder during his time at Chelsea , surprised some by expressing a preference for a deeper midfield position after joining United. "I've always seen myself as a midfielder or a number eight that can obviously get forward, attack, try and score goals and create goals," Mount explained. "But I am also able to do the other side as well and defend and help the team when we're under pressure."
Seen as an enhancement over Eriksen, Ten Hag was counting on Mount to take on the responsibilities Eriksen shouldered in the 2022/23 season, with Ten Hag acknowledging last August: "Christian, last season, came in and did the same. First time in his life he played in a deeper role and that was the ambition from Christian and then also the ambition from Mason."
However, due to his fitness struggles and Mainoo's meteoric ascent, Mount finds himself trailing the young star in the competition for the number eight spot. It's Mainoo's position to lose now.
With both Eriksen and McTominay competing for the same position, Mount is well aware that he'll have to fight for his preferred spot on the pitch. However, as we've seen before, he's more than capable of taking on a more advanced role. In United's friendly against Rosenborg, he started in a deeper role but was utilized as the number 10 against Rangers and Arsenal.
His performances in these friendlies were impressive, showing his skills both with and without the ball — clear signs of a player keen to make up for lost time. While it's true that Mount has often played as a number 10 for Chelsea, it's not the role he transferred to Old Trafford to fill; he was brought in to play as a number eight.
As the new season approaches, Mount isn't guaranteed a starting spot in either role, meaning he'll need to work hard to secure a place in Ten Hag's first-choice XI. However, his recent performances at number 10 suggest he could be a strong back-up for Fernandes.
His ability to adapt to different roles in midfield is a trait that Ten Hag will surely appreciate and utilize. He's a valuable asset to the team, and United will be eager to keep him fit.
Liverpool.com says: While Mount looked like an ideal player to come into the Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp last summer, his record since means no one will have any regrets at having missed out. He chose Manchester United but must surely regret that now. It really doesn't feel like a move that was for the good of his career, even though the signs were always there of that being the case.
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