Manchester United are set to add midfield reinforcements this summer, with two Premier League stars on the shopping list.
New manager Erik ten Hag is facing an exodus at his new club, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani likely to leave this summer. One area of the pitch that looks in drastic need of surgery, however, is the centre of midfield.
United's record signing, Paul Pogba, looks to have played his last game for the club he rejoined in 2016 for £89 million – and is set to leave on a free transfer when this current campaign concludes. Nemanja Matic has confirmed his intention to join the World Cup winner on a plane out of Old Trafford.
Ten Hag wants to bolster this position with technical quality and is exploring deals for Premier League-proven players, with both Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United in the crosshairs, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Wolves are thought to be offering Neves out to prospective buyers this summer, as the Portuguese lynchpin enters the last two years on his current contract. At 25, the midfielder is entering his prime years and is widely expected to want to move to a club playing in Europe soon.
Phillips, meanwhile, is a little harder to prise away from Leeds. After a season of injury, which might end with the Yorkshire outfit relegated, however, now might be a good opportunity to capture a high-class talent who was integral to England at Euro 2020.
Both players are capable as playing as a No.6 or a No.8 and both cut their teeth in the Championship before helping their respective clubs to top-half finishes in the top flight. Ten Hag is also said to be interested in Frenkie de Jong, whom he worked with at Ajax.
Ruben Neves is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, while Kalvin Phillips is thought to be worth £45m.
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Manchester United have been linked with a vast array of talents ever since Erik ten Hag was confirmed as manager, with one surprising forward from Ajax emerging as a potential buy for the club this summer.
Rumours persist that Benfica forward Darwin Nunez may well be bought, too, while Frenkie de Jong is an apparent target for Ten Hag following their time together at Ajax. Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen is another player being talked about in relation to a move.
It's not all incomings at Old Trafford, either: one report lists the rumoured departure list out of Manchester. Paul Scholes, meanwhile, has been sharing how much of a disaster the current dressing room is from his chats with Jesse Lingard.
