Their memorable victory over Liverpool has definitely lifted spirits in the Manchester United camp. The next test against Southampton will show whether the team really has turned over a new leaf.
Erik ten Hag is desperate to see his side continue in the same fashion and it will be interesting to see whether he sticks to the team that overpowered their bitter rivals or throw new recruit Casemiro straight into the starting line-up for Saturday’s clash.
Despite receiving a lot of criticism for his displays in the first two weeks, Scott McTominay was one of the standout performers from Monday’s clash.
🚨🌕| #mufc are expected to dismiss any approach from Newcastle for Scott McTominay, who is wanted on loan. [Simon Jones, @MailSport]
— centredevils. (@centredevils) August 26, 2022
The Brazilian’s arrival means he is no longer guaranteed a place in the starting line-up and his overall minutes might also decrease.
Both tend to play in a similar fashion and the Brazil international is by far the more accomplished defensive midfielder.
The Scot has been a part of the United academy since the age of five and there is no chance that he will quit and look for a way out. He is expected to fight for his place but the current situation has piqued the interest of a number of Premier League clubs.
As reported previously, West Ham had enquired about the possibility of taking the 25-year-old on loan. And now, Newcastle United have also entered the race for the Scotland international.
Interest in McTominay growing
According to Simon Jones of The Daily Mail, “Newcastle had expressed an interest in signing McTominay following the £70m signing of Brazilian Casemiro from Real Madrid.”
The Red Devils currently have quite a few players capable of playing the deeper role with Fred, Christian Eriksen and even Donny van de Beek capable of playing there.
A deal for Frenkie de Jong, who is Ten Hag’s primary target, is still not dead in the water and there are murmurs that a deal can still be achieved in the dying moments of the transfer window.
Multiple reports have stated that the Dutch boss wants to add another midfielder to the squad despite the addition of the former Real Madrid general.
McTominay’s partnership with Fred has attracted a fair bit of criticism with pundits and fans advising Ten Hag not to use this partnership in the future.
United are unlikely to entertain such a request for McTominay as Ten Hag prefers competition for places and with United set to compete in four competitions this season, squad rotation will be key.
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