A “sensational” £100m midfielder has now emerged as Manchester United’s top midfield target ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, with Ruben Amorim personally keen.
Man Utd keen on new midfielder amid Bruno concerns
Amorim has been forced to find a way to fit talisman Bruno Fernandes into his system, but there are concerns about whether the Portugal international is suited to playing in central midfield, with ex-Chelsea man Craig Burley criticising his positional awareness.
Burley said: “They have got no legs in midfield, we’ve talked about this with Casemiro and Ugarte. Bruno Fernandes is playing there, but it’s not his position.
“He doesn’t understand the defensive aspects and the positional aspects of being a deeper-lying midfielder. And it also negates, which we’ve talked about at length, his ability to influence 30 yards further up the field.”
Perhaps with that in mind, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new central midfielder, and summer target, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, has remained on the shortlist, with a report from early September revealing plans to smash their transfer record in 2026.
However, according to a report from The i Paper, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has now overtaken Baleba as Man United’s top target in midfield, with Amorim personally keen, as the manager is a fan of his directness and willingness to pass forward.
The Brighton midfielder, on the other hand, has made a disappointing start to the season, which has caused United to think twice about pursuing the Cameroonian, with one insider saying: “A calming influence, a midfielder on a different level with the ball at his feet wouldn’t go amiss right now,”
“Baleba can get about the pitch more, but does he possess Wharton’s quality on the ball? The club could do with the latter.”
"Sensational" Wharton would be very different option to Baleba
The Palace star, who reportedly has a price tag of £100m, is a very different type of player to Baleba, posing more of an attacking threat, while, as previously mentioned, expressing a willingness to drive the ball forward, which is why he has caught Amorim’s eye.
Average per 90 (past year)
Adam Wharton
Carlos Baleba
Assists
0.15
0
Shot-creating actions
3.94
1.88
Progressive passes
5.98
3.33
Tackles
1.90
2.47
Interceptions
1.39
1.53
As shown, the Cameroon international excels more from a defensive point of view, which suggests he is more of a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro, although there have recently been widespread reports suggesting the ex-Real Madrid man could sign a new contract.
As such, Baleba may not be a necessary signing, and it is probably a wise idea to focus on signing Wharton, who has received very high praise from Sky Sports’ Nubaid Haroon in the past.
