Man Utd could replace Casemiro with “special” £53m signing who’s like Rodri

With the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, optimism surrounds Manchester United.

The Red Devils are in desperate need of a new start, especially considering they sit seventh in the Premier League table.

Therefore, Erik ten Hag is keen to improve his side, with a new midfielder potentially on the cards.

Man United’s midfield target

According to transfer inside Dean Jones, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Man Utd are interested in signing Martin Zubimendi.

Speaking to the outlet, Jones stated: “The centre of their midfield will change. They have got a few names already. Four or five names, to be honest, that they’re continuing to explore for the midfield. I think that they’ll also get involved in conversations around players like Zubimendi, who they have a level of interest in. I think they might even step that up as we get through the season.

“And then, of course, the attack. They’re certainly looking for a player to come in there, probably a wide player of serious substance”

The Real Sociedad star reportedly has a £53m release clause in his contract, which the Red Devils are willing to activate.

However, a move is much more likely to occur in the summer due to the midfielder’s fee and United’s financial fair play situation.

How Zubimendi would fit into United’s team

Casemiro has barely featured for Man United this season after picking up an injury at the start of November, which has seen him only return to the matchday squad against Spurs last weekend.

The Brazilian has played 12 games in all competitions this campaign, but his time in the Premier League could come to an end in the near future, according to the Daily Star, with the English giant looking to move him on in the summer.

Therefore, Ten Hag could look to cash in on the 31-year-old in order to raise funds for the potential signing of Zubimendi.

The 24-year-old has become a key player for Sociedad since breaking into the first team in 2020, and this season he has played in all but one La Liga match and every Champions League game. Nonetheless, the table below shows Zubimendi’s stats from this season’s La Liga campaign.

Zubimendi is evidently an extremely technical player who can perform in multiple roles, which makes him the “special talent” that scout Antonio Mango described him as. The number four is among the best defensive midfielders in the world alongside Rodri, according to Spain’s head coach Jose Luis De La Fuente, who once stated: “For me, they are the best midfielders in the world in their position. and they are perfectly compatible.”

The Spain international acts as a deep-lying playmaker, and is often the connector between defence and attack, taking responsibility on the ball to control the game, as displayed by his medium passes and passes into the final third statistics. Zubimendi also provides support out of possession, where he can read the game to regain the ball and sniff out danger.

Despite the above sounding like Rodri, the Spaniard can also affect the game in the final third, as shown by his non-penalty goals per ninety minutes, which the Man City midfielder has also proved to be capable of doing, scoring four goals in the Premier League this season.

Zubimendi would be a smart signing for United. The idea of signing their own Rodri due to the Spanish duo’s similarities must be a mouthwatering one for those of a Red Devils persuasion. Furthermore, with Casemiro on his way out, the Sociedad maestro could be the perfect replacement for the former Real Madrid man.