INEOS open talks to sign £44m ‘beast’ who will be Man Utd’s new Mainoo

Manchester United bounced back from a disappointing 2-1 loss at the hands of Leeds United in the Premier League by compounding the woes of Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea.

Of course, on their trip to Stamford Bridge, Michael Carrick’s Red Devils could easily go on to win 1-0 against a dejected Blues, with Matheus Cunha’s debut proving to be the difference.

Despite Cunha’s strike, there is no doubt that the man of the match was Kobbie Mainoo as the young Englishman continues to excel under Carrick’s tutelage. He completed 91% of his passes and won six duels at the end of a successful trip to the capital.

Casemiro will manage a passing accuracy of 83%, very different, as he also won six duels, United need to use the summer transfer market successfully, to find a long-term place for the Brazilian player who has grown up.

Man Utd could sign Mainoo 2.0

United fans would love Casemiro to pen a new contract, as he has suddenly aged like fine wine at Old Trafford.

Indeed, with ten goals to his name this season in the Premier League, the South American striker is still a strong player, despite being 34 years old.

However, he will leave at the end of the season, with United’s biggest priority this summer being signing a new midfielder.

The likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Aurelien Tchouameni are reportedly on their radar, but new reports also suggest United have entered talks to sign Atalanta ace Ederson, as another central option.

The Premier League giants have previously been linked with the Brazilian, with new reports from Italy claiming that concrete efforts are now being made by Carrick and Co to land their long-term target.

Negotiations have reportedly taken place to try to fix the deal, with the price tag above Ederson’s head at £44m, compared to the aforementioned Anderson’s £100m switch fee.

While United will be looking to fill the void left by Casemiro, Ederson’s signature could actually see them land a new version of Mainoo.

How can Ederson be the new Mainoo

Ederson may be five years older than his United team-mate, but he is a player in the same vein as the dynamic youngster.

Able to play as a holding anchor, a traditional central option, or up front as an attacking midfielder, like Mainoo, Ederson also has a long-range bullet up his sleeve, when needed, in his Serie A outfit.

This stunning goal against Barcelona last year shows a star who was not afraid of the pressure of the Theater of Dreams, with 15 goals and five assists to his name, while playing 175 games in Bergamo.

Mainoo is not far behind in this department, with seven goals and five assists under his belt, from a few outings in Manchester, for a mark of 97.

However, both players are more than their goals and helped the result, however, with the Brazilian “beast” as declared by journalist Ryan Taylor, who looked well-equipped to succeed in the chaos of the Premier League when he deepened his Serie A numbers this season so far.

The table above clearly shows their similarities, both midfielders are willing to get stuck in and do their defensive work, as they are willing to burst forward and join the attack. They win the same number of duels in 90 while their pass rate in the same sense speaks volumes for the combined figures in the middle of the park.

At £44m, United can turn a profit, instead of investing heavily, with Mainoo not costing the Red Devils a penny, having come through a prestigious academy, now becoming a first team regular.

He will certainly remain the heartbeat of United’s new team when Casemiro leaves, as he still has a lot to offer, aged just 21.

But, he can work with Ederson soon. Once hailed by Italian content creator Damiano Coccia as “the most powerful midfielder in the world”, another dynamic and versatile midfielder could join the Old Trafford camp to cushion the blow for the outgoing Casemiro.

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