Sport
Eduardo Camavinga would be a dream signing for Manchester United
Life after the signing of Jadon Sancho will be somewhat novel for Manchester United. For two years, they have chased the Borussia Dortmund winger. The gossip column has been filled with speculation for as long as anyone cares to remember, but with a deal reportedly close to being completed United will have to move on with their transfer plans. There’s a lot of work to be done. While Sancho will address a major deficiency on the right wing, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is in need of strengthening in other areas. One of those areas is central midfield which is why recent reports linking Manchester United with Eduardo Camavinga are so significant.
It’s claimed United will turn their attention to the 18-year-old once the deal for Sancho is rubber stamped. Some reports have gone even further, stating the Old Trafford club will meet Camavinga’s representatives this week to discuss a move to the Premier League. Their interest appears to be genuine.
Eduardo Camavinga is exactly the sort of player Manchester United need at the base of their midfield. Solskjaer primarily used Fred and Scott McTominay as a central foundation for his team last season, but the pair’s roles and responsibilities could be absorbed by just one player. Camavinga could be that one player.
It’s not that Manchester United need a defensive midfielder, per se. They require a force of nature who can cover the full width of the pitch without being stretched. They need someone who can break up opposition moves and provide the back four with protection while also possessing the technical ability to pass forward and drive the ball upfield.
This player wouldn’t just upgrade what Fred and McTominay offer, they would free up one whole place in Solskjaer’s tactical game plan. Someone like Camavinga, who has all these qualities, would make it easier for Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba to forge a relationship as the Premier League’s most accomplished creative duo.
United’s need for a new right winger and a new central defender – Pau Torres and Raphael Varane have been linked – is well established, but new additions in these areas would be like-for-like upgrades. The pursuit of a new central midfielder presents a different scenario. The signing of the right player could completely transform Solskjaer’s team in the middle of the pitch.
For this reason, Eduardo Camavinga, not Sancho, would be the most important signing Manchester United could make this summer. While last season was a significant improvement on the season before for Solskjaer’s side, they still lacked that player in the centre to tie everything together. Camavinga fits the bill as that figure.
Solskjaer must find ways to catch Manchester City at the top of the Premier League next season and the addition of such a multi-talented, multi-dimensional world prospect who is only likely to improve further would be one way to make up the difference. The signing of Camavinga would make a real statement.
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have also been linked with Camavinga. Arsenal are also believed to be long-term admirers of the Rennes midfielder. Manchester United’s sales pitch to persuade the young French international to make the move to Old Trafford will have to be a strong one.
That United have spotted an opportunity to poach such a talented young player who has just one year left on his current contract hints at a smarter approach to the transfer market. They are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past. The signing of Sancho would be one thing, but the arrival of Eduardo Camavinga at Old Trafford this summer could truly change things for Manchester United.
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