Erik ten Hag will be looking to make a return to the Champions League qualification spots this coming season, with transfer recruitment already well underway ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Highly rated 18-year-old Leny Yoro has been signed from Lille, along with 23-year-old talented forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna. But it is still expected Manchester United will have more incomings this summer, with plenty of links flying around.
One area of need is a defensive midfielder, as Casemiro missed 17 games due to an injury, and United will want to find a consistent partner for the talented Kobbie Mainoo ahead of next season.
Manchester United transfer news
According to reports from talkSPORT, Manchester United are interested in Real Sociedad midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, who is also on Arsenal's transfer list this summer, to bolster their midfield options.
The midfielder has a release clause of £50m this summer, according to the reports, and both clubs are interested in the prospect of bringing the Spaniard to the club.
Zubimendi made 45 appearances in all competitions for Real Sociedad last season, scoring four goals, providing one assist, and contributing to 19 clean sheets.
Zubimendi vs Rodri comparison
The two players have been compared with Spanish football expert Sid Lowe notably speaking highly of Zubimendi, saying: "He is just about as good a deep-lying midfielder there is in Europe, apart from maybe Rodri". Their similarities are described as being familiar in similar areas of the pitch, and being "fundamental cogs in a machine".
Spain manager De la Fuente spoke very highly of the Real Sociedad midfielder too, saying he is "one of the best midfielders in the world". So, could Zubimendi be United's answer to Rodri?
Passes Attempted
53.10
113.85
Pass Completion %
86.0%
91.9%
Progressive Passes
5.21
12.28
Progressive Carries
1.07
2.85
Goals/Shot
0.14
0.12
Tackles
1.79
2.08
Aerials Won
1.55
1.46
Rodri made 50 appearances for Manchester City last season in all competitions, scoring nine goals, providing 14 assists, and totaling a whopping 4,327 minutes, showing his ever-present importance to his side.
Being at the base of the team, having that high pass success rate (91.9% which is in the top 1% among midfielders in the top five leagues) is very important, to keep things ticking and control the tempo of the game.
However, you are also a key part of the rest of the defence. When that ball turns over, you must be ready to perform defensive actions, protect the backline, and win aerial duels in that area of the pitch. Zubimendi, whilst ranking below Rodri in passing metrics, does rank very closely in tackling numbers, and actually above Rodri in aerial duels won.
Playing for Real Sociedad, who averaged 55.5% possession, were a slightly less dominant ball team than Rodri's Manchester City, who averaged 65.4% possession, which is one reason for the big disparity in passing metrics and touches.
By inputting the passing ability of Zubimendi into a slightly more ball-dominant team, with more intent on circulating possession, those passing metrics could take a massive jump, and perhaps even make him Omar Berrada's – the man who signed Rodri for Manchester City – second answer to the Ballon d'Or contender.
Man Utd struck gold on "fabulous" star who's worth even more than Ugarte
Manchester United really have reaped the rewards of giving this star a chance to shine.
ByKelan SarsonJul 22, 2024
