Manchester United are riding the crest of a wave under Michael Carrick‘s management, though INEOS will be hoping for an even bigger breaker to lead the club to illustrious heights once again next season.
Whether the next phase of the Old Trafford plan will take place with the interim manager offered the job on a permanent basis remains to be seen, though, with the likes of Roberto De Zerbi interested in taking the job this summer.
Clarity will be needed before the transfer window slides open, of course, with a concerted, single-minded strategy crucial in reducing the gap to Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the English ladder.
And, without a shadow of a doubt, the Red Devils must continue to build around Bruno Fernandes.
Man Utd want to buy the new Bruno Fernandes
Last summer, Saudi suitors circled for Fernandes’ signature, and the Portugal international spoke afterwards of his sadness that the club had urged him to take the significant pay package.
Fernandes, 31 and United captain, feels he has more to offer at Old Trafford, with his sights set on lifting the Premier League or the Champions League.
It’s clear that money isn’t everything, and that United have benefited immensely from keeping the 31-year-old on the books, with his performances throughout the campaign surely placing him in line for the PFA Player of the Year award in a few months.
But Fernandes won’t be around forever, and director Jason Wilcox appears to be readying a charge for a Prem-proven successor.
According to Football Insider, Manchester United are interested in signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, and they appear undeterred by the Villans’ £100m asking price for the England international.
Rogers, 23, is one of the sharpest attacking midfielders in the Premier League, and while he’s not yet on his level, the Old Trafford analysts believe he can grow into his skin as the next Fernandes, should he move to Manchester.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and even Real Madrid are all keen on his signature.
Why Man United want Morgan Rogers
If Manchester United want to sign Rogers this summer, they will have to break their transfer record to get him, but his performances in Unai Emery’s system over the past several years underscore the value in securing such a rising star.
Since the start of last season, the Three Lions star has posted 24 goals and 23 assists across all competitions, with pundits starting to suggest that he is among the cream of the crop in the Premier League.
Would it be worth breaking the bank for this attacker? Fernandes is still firing on all cylinders, but he’s not a spring chicken anymore, and it’s worth remembering that he was 25 when he arrived in England, older than Rogers is now.
Rogers isn’t matching the Man United captain’s output, but he’s not exactly against popping up with goals and assists, with a multitude of different weapons besides. The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell has even called him a “machine” who has been “made with brick“.
25/26 PL stats – Rogers vs Fernandes
Stats (per 90)
Rogers
Fernandes
Matches (starts)
31 (31)
28 (28)
Goals + Assists
8 + 5
8 + 16
Touches*
48.5
76.5
Shots (on target)*
2.3 (1.0)
2.6 (0.8)
Big chances missed
3
8
Accurate passes*
21.6 (76%)
47.5 (83%)
Big chances created
10
24
Key passes*
1.3
3.6
Succ. dribbles*
1.1
0.5
Ball recoveries*
3.7
4.9
Tackles*
1.0
1.6
Duels won*
4.2
4.0
Fernandes’ volume of assists almost beggars belief, and he may well break a seemingly unbreakable record this season. Rogers would not bring the same kind of quality to the Theatre of Dreams next season, but his movement and trickery and directness would give the club a different kind of threat.
All the while, he would absorb the fruits of Fernandes’ skillset.
In December, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher said that he’s “looking like one of the best players in the Premier League“, and his growth as a player certainly attests to the argument. Perhaps the scariest thing is that he’s still got a lot of development to undertake, but if INEOS land him this year, they won’t be the ones afraid.
Fernandes is almost irreplaceable; he is that good. However, Rogers’ athleticism and energy would add so much to a United side who already have dangerous mavericks out on the flanks in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. And that’s without even considering the improvements Benjamin Sesko could make over the next year or so.
Villa’s number ten is the real deal, and while it would be unreasonable to expect him to match Bruno’s output from the off at Old Trafford, even with such a big transfer fee attached, he would add a lot and help dynamise and synergise a team looking to return to the very top of their game.
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