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Manchester United’s return to the Champions League stage did not go as planned as despite a resilient show, they succumbed to a 3-4 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Injuries meant Erik ten Hag had a limited squad to choose from and despite grabbing a brace, Casemiro and the rest of the midfield let the team down again.
The Brazilian is yet to hit top gear so far this season and he has been struggling to shield the defence on his own with Christian Eriksen unable to do his share of off-the-ball defensive work.
ETH is yet to find his perfect midfield combination
The Dane’s legs have gone and while he can still pick a pass, he cannot control games anymore and fresh legs are required alongside the former Real Madrid man.
United are considering the sale of Scott McTominay, who has not impressed in his limited chances, in January while Donny van de Beek is not even in the Champions League squad.
As per Spanish outlet El Nacional, United are considering going after Los Blancos midfielder Federico Valverde with Real open to moving on the Uruguayan.
Carlo Ancelotti may be short of attacking options but he has an abundance of quality midfielders and with the La Liga giants eyeing major reinforcements up front, they have decided to put the 25-year-old on sale.
He did not start the Champions League game against Union Berlin with the Italian manager not finding space for him while his conduct with Alex Baena and subsequent investigation from La Liga has not been viewed kindly by the club.
“Carlo Ancelotti does not see him in the interior, since his game lacks fluidity. His ideal position would be the false right winger, but with the new plans drawn on the Italian’s board, he has no space.
“Fede Valverde’s act of aggression towards Álex Baena in the Bernabéu parking lot also seems to be taking a toll, which Real Madrid did not like at all.
Valverde up for grabs
“At Real Madrid, they are aware that Fede Valverde is on the agenda of several Premier League giants, such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea. His profile of being a so-called box-to-box midfielder is highly appreciated in England.
“When the time comes, Real Madrid will not rule out sitting down to negotiate for the player, as long as the offer is close to 80 million euros.”
His goalscoring ability appeared to peter away during the second half of the previous campaign and the player could use a change of scenery at this stage of his career.
Real have already sold the likes of Raphael Varane and Casemiro to the 20-time English league champions and this could be United’s chance to claim another.
His work-rate and versatility would be a huge asset for any club. Whether United, under the Glazers, can thrash out a deal while also targeting upgrades up front and at the back remains to be seen.
