Manchester United will look to reinforce the entire team this summer after a year of injury-induced issues.
The midfield is a key department that needs bolstering, hence why the club is looking to sign Joao Neves.
The Benfica wonderkid reportedly has a £102m release clause in his contract, which may prove to be an issue for Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at an alternative to the Portuguese ace who could just have a similar impact.
Man Utd’s search for a new midfielder
According to French outlet Le10sport, Man United want to sign Youssouf Fofana from AS Monaco.
It’s mentioned that the Red Devils are 'strongly positioned' to sign the midfielder, who is keen on playing in the Premier League.
With Fofana’s contract set to expire next year and the player wanting to depart, Monaco will look to sell the Frenchman this summer.
However, unfortunately for the Manchester club, Italian giants such as AC Milan and Juventus are also interested in his signature.
Fofana would be a great alternative to Neves
Over the past few years, Fofana has been a consistent performer for not just Monaco but also his nation, France.
Last season, the 25-year-old played a huge role in Monaco’s second-place finish in Ligue 1, starting 31 matches as either a box-to-box player or more of a defensive midfielder.
Over these games, the France international picked up four goals and assists apiece, which proves he can impact the game in the final third.
But what other attributes does Fofana possess? And how does he compare to Neves, for example, based on stats from their respective leagues?
Touches
70.51
93.12
Passes completed
48.49
71.58
Progressive passes
8.31
6.66
Carries into the final third
2.77
1.56
Shot-creating actions
3.34
3
Tackles
2.04
2.53
Balls recovered
7.68
8.26
As you can see, both players are extremely well-rounded midfielders who are excellent both defensively and technically.
They’re both proactive when undertaking defensive duties, making tackles and recovering the ball frequently due to their ability to read the game.
Covering ground isn’t an issue for either of them, but what Fofana does have over Neves is superior athleticism, which makes him the “monster" that analyst Ben Mattinson described him as, and potentially more suited to the physicality of the Premier League.
Now, from an in-possession perspective, Fofana and Neves are both heavily involved in the play, whether that be during build-up or against a low block, as shown by their touches and passes completed.
However, what separates the two is that Fofana is the definition of a “game-changer,” as further labelled by Mattinson, due to his ability to continuously progress the play, create chances, and drive forward with the ball.
The number 19 also has great leadership qualities, taking on the captain’s armband in the absence of Wissam Ben-Yedder earlier this season.
Furthermore, a player that Fofana can be compared to in the Premier League is Bruno Guimaraes, as per FBref, which just proves how talented he truly is.
Overall, it’s quite clear that Fofana has everything that Man United would look for in a new midfielder, and he could prove to be the perfect Neves alternative.
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