Manchester United’s midfield depth is becoming a bit of an issue under Ruben Amorim. Whilst he has found his first choice pivot in Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, the Portuguese manager does not seem to trust his squad depth in those deeper areas.
His stubbornness at not playing Kobbie Mainoo is bizarre, given how talented the young Carrington graduate is. It now seems that the England international will leave his boyhood club on loan this winter, with Napoli one potential destination.
As for Manuel Ugarte, he has only played 301 Premier League minutes and seems off the pace for the Premier League, having been described as “not good enough” by Gary Neville, following the Manchester derby defeat.
With that in mind, it might not come as a surprise that United are targeting a new midfielder.
Man Utd’s latest midfield target
Midfield is clearly an area United are looking to improve this winter. They have already been linked with Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace in the last few days, although they will face lots of competition for the Englishman.
Another player the Red Devils could target is Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller.
According to reports in Spain, United are one of the sides ‘interested in acquiring his services’, with the German international one of the top names on their midfield shopping list.
However, despite having seemingly made an ‘approach’, they will not be alone in the hunt for Stiller’s signature.
United’s competition comes in the form of Real Madrid, with Los Blancos looking to add to their own midfield depth after losing Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the last few seasons.
As for a price, Stiller – who is said to be keen on moving to the Spanish capital – could cost upwards of £53m to tempt Stuttgart into a sale.
How Stiller compares to Adam Wharton
Five-cap Germany international Stiller has shone in the middle of the park for Stuttgart over the last few seasons. Described as a “complete” midfielder by football analyst Ben Mattinson, he oozes class on the ball, controlling play from deeper areas.
This season has been no different for the midfielder, who was born in Munich and has played for Bayern Munich at senior level. Stiller has played 17 times so far this term, chipping in with one goal and assisting five.
Indeed, those assists from deeper areas are a key theme of Stiller’s game. He has 22 assists in 98 games for Stuttgart. This pass against FC Augsburg is an example of how creative he can be, looking to pull the strings from the edge of the final third.
Of course, the German is not the only midfielder United are looking to sign. Wharton is also a name high up on their shopping list, as he is for many clubs.
The Palace midfielder has shone for the Eagles again this season, playing 15 games across all competitions.
His former manager at Blackburn Rovers, Jon Dahl Tomasson, said, “on the ball, he’s Champions League level.”
Indeed, like Stiller, Wharton is a true controller, able to dictate games from deeper areas. Look at the influence he had in midfield against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final last season.
It might well be the case that United only end up signing one of Stiller or Wharton, given how alike their profiles are. Whilst the former Blackburn star has Premier League experience, it might be the case that Stiller is actually a better signing.
The stats go a long way in supporting this theory, too. So far this season, the German averages more progressive passes, with 7.56 to Wharton’s 5.06 per 90 minutes, and more ball recoveries, with 5.47 compared to 4.68 each game.
Stiller & Wharton key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Stiller
Wharton
Progressive passes
7.56
5.06
Passes into final third
7.44
3.77
Passes into penalty area
2.33
1.04
Progressive carries
2.21
1.17
Ball recoveries
5.47
4.68
Stats from FBref
It is easy to see why bringing Stiller in over Wharton could be a better move for United. Not only does he rank ahead of him in several key metrics, but the former Bayern star is also someone who has more of an impact in the final third and racks up far more assists.
As Mattinson said in a separate post, the 24-year-old is “the perfect player for Amorim’s style of play.” He could certainly be that controller in United’s pivot, with the skills he has in possession, whilst also contributing in attack.
A fee of £53m is not too expensive in the current transfer market. Stiller could be the ideal candidate to add depth to United’s midfield that Amorim trusts.
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