Man Utd burst into race for goalscoring midfielder Ten Hag has ‘regularly scouted’, with Juventus move under threat
Manchester United have reportedly entered the chase to sign an impressive Serie A midfielder, with Juventus and Roma now worried about losing out on him.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag wants to engineer a midfield revamp in the summer. He has supposedly put Scott McTominay up for sale and is willing to accept a £40million offer for the Man Utd academy graduate.
Casemiro has established himself as Man Utd’s most important midfielder this season, so his place is guaranteed for next term.
But Ten Hag wants a top-class midfielder to join the Red Devils and partner Casemiro for the long run. There are a few reasons why this is the case.
Fred is not deemed as being up to scratch, despite his upturn in form under Ten Hag. Christian Eriksen did very well in a Man Utd shirt prior to his injury, but at 31 years old the club could do with finding a younger successor for him.
Bruno Fernandes looks set to continue playing in a more advanced role, either just behind the striker in central attacking midfield or as a makeshift right winger.
Then there is Marcel Sabitzer. He is on loan at Man Utd from Bayern Munich, a deal which was agreed following confirmation of Eriksen’s injury.
Sabitzer is pushing to make a permanent Man Utd switch a reality. But Ten Hag could go elsewhere when looking for a new midfielder and a Serie A star has popped up on his wish list.
Man Utd battling Juventus, Roma for quality midfielder
According to Football Italia, who cite Gazzetta dello Sport, Man Utd have burst into the race for Sassuolo’s Davide Frattesi.
The Italy international is enjoying a great season, having notched six goals in 28 matches so far. Only winger Armand Lauriente has registered more league goals for Sassuolo this term than Frattesi.
Frattesi is wanted by Italian giants Juve and Roma. Juve recently begun talks with Sassuolo over his potential move to Turin, while Roma have a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old after he spent time in their youth setup.
But both teams are at serious risk of losing out on Frattesi to Man Utd. Ten Hag has ‘regularly’ sent scouts to watch him in action and they have returned glowing reports.
Man Utd are now seriously considering making an offer for Frattesi. And due to their financial power, they should be able to outbid both Juve and Roma.
Sassuolo would love to keep the Rome-born ace but know they will struggle to prevent an exit if Man Utd begin negotiations.
Frattesi will not move on the cheap as Sassuolo rate him incredibly highly, while his contract there runs until June 2026.
But if Ten Hag has landed on Frattesi as his ideal midfield recruit, then Man Utd will likely submit a huge bid to make Sassuolo sing.
One reason Man Utd fans may be slightly concerned about the prospective capture of Frattesi is due to his former team-mate Gianluca Scamacca.
The striker looked deadly when playing for Sassuolo last season, bagging 16 goals in 38 matches. However, Scamacca has struggled to replicate that form since his transfer to West Ham. He has just eight goals to his name so far.
Each player is different though and Man Utd supporters will be hoping Frattesi can adapt better to the Prem than Scamacca, should his Old Trafford switch reach completion.
