Man Utd Make Contact to Sign Bargain £22m Midfielder

It is no secret that Manchester United are in the market for midfielders in the summer transfer window.

United have already completed a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta in a £38million move, with just the official confirmation still to come.

But the Red Devils have always maintained that they want to complete two deals in the middle of the park and that may become three if Manuel Ugarte is sold during the transfer window too.

United have been linked with a host of names already this summer. Elliot Anderson was the number one priority, but United have dropped out of the race to sign the Nottingham Forest midfielder, due to the huge financial package it would take to sign him.

They also did not want to enter into a bidding war with rivals Manchester City, who have already seen two bids of more than £100million knocked back by Evangelos Marinakis.

Aurelien Tchouameni, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have all been heavily linked, but all would take a hefty pay packet to get done too.

That may lead to United turning to alternative options and one has emerged in the form of Marc Casado.

The 22-year-old is still trying to find his feet at the Camp Nou, making 34 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona last season, albeit only 15 as a starter in Hansi Flick's La Liga title-winning side.

Casado had made 29 starts in the previous campaign and was linked with a move away from the Catalan giants then too. Flick said last year: "I spoke with Marc Casado, I don't see him wanting to leave the team, nor do I think I want that either. The season is long, and we want to achieve everything."

It remains to be seen whether Flick's or Casado's stance has changed in a year, but Mundo Deportivo claims that United have already made contact over a move to sign the defensive midfielder this summer.

United have made enquiries with the player's agent Jorge Mendes over a move to Old Trafford this summer, and with a £22million price tag on his shoulders, would come considerably cheaper than some of their alternatives.

In an analytical piece on the player back in 2024, Breaking the Lines called him a La Masia gem and said: "With a rare mix of technique and stamina, Casado has the potential to dominate the center of the pitch for Barcelona for years to come. As he keeps growing and improving his skills, there’s no doubt he is destined to become a key midfielder for Barcelona and can be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world."

High praise indeed and it may be that he has to move to a different club to prove it.

Carrick can bolster his midfield with an experienced midfield operator