Man Utd told they were right to dodge £301m midfield trio as ideal Casemiro heir is named – not Tchouameni

Manchester United have been hailed for taking a “strong stand” over rising midfielder prices and deserve “respect” for refusing to buckle and pay top dollar for three targets who moved elsewhere this summer, while a perfect replacement for Casemiro has now been named.

The Red Devils are in the hunt for new midfield recruits this summer to provide Michael Carrick with a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title and also going deep in the Champions League on their return to the competition.

However, their decision to only spend within their means and hold off from matching some of the crazy midfield fees knocking around the Premier League this summer has irked plenty of fans, with Manchester United having now missed out on three top targets, who have generated a combined £301m (€352m, $403m) in transfer fees this summer.

Indeed, INEOS, in deciding to make sure they don’t find themselves engulfed by the financial quagmire they inherited when Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought a £1.3bn, 27.7% stake in the club, have seen the likes of Elliot Anderson (£116m to Manchester City), Sandro Tonali (£100m to Tottenham Hotspur) and Mateus Fernandes (£85m, also to Spurs) all slip through the net.

While that stance has angered fans, Wes Brown has told TEAMtalk that their policy should be commended and Ratcliffe and Co. are entirely right not to cripple themselves with more debt amid a somewhat mad rise in costs for top midfielders this summer.

Speaking exclusively to TEAMtalk, via BetTom, Brown said: “I think it’s smart. I know some people think it will bite them (holding back), but I think it’s the right way.

“I think you know, over the years, United have overpaid for far too many players. Now, we’re at the stage where the prices have been bumped up a little bit more, and it’s a game of, you know, well, if you don’t pay, you’re not going to get…

“But I think if you take a strong stand, you get more respect from it in the long run, and I think it’s some of that we’ve needed to do for a while.”

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Brown intimated that United face a really tricky task in trying to pinpoint those ideal signings in the centre of midfield, especially with the departing Casemiro leaving a giant hole in the side following arguably his best season yet in United colours.

With Manuel Ugarte also suffering a serious ACL injury at the World Cup finals, United need to sign at least two more midfielders this summer to supplement the signing of Ederson (£39m from Atalanta) so far.

One of those heavily linked is Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni, though Brown, who made 362 appearances for United over 14 years, reckons they should target Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton instead.

“It’s a tough one. I know we need somebody to replace all the experience and build on the high standards Casemiro brought, and I’ve always said I like Wharton. He has the ability and temperament needed. He’s a local boy [from Blackburn], so he should have no issues settling down.

“I don’t know how much he would cost, but he’s of the age [22] where he’s going to give you some returns and hopefully a profit down the line.

“Look, I think Anderson’s bumped everybody’s prices up a bit, but again, listen, I love Anderson, and the fee has nothing to do with him. He’s a very good player, as is Wharton.

“And I know United have to be careful and make sure they don’t overpay, but he [Wharton] is the one we should go for.”

United may need to act quickly if they are to do a deal, amid claims Liverpool are ready to open talks with Palace over a prospective swap for the England midfielder.

As for United’s actual next signing, a new report on Tuesday afternoon claims INEOS are ready to pay more than their maximum number for Fernandes when bidding for a ‘dream’ target.

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