Erik ten Hag’s second campaign as Manchester United manager hasn’t exactly gone according to plan thus far.
It seems like the whole squad has suffered from injuries this season, with the return of one player often followed by a setback to another.
However, there have been some unlikely heroes this term, with one of those being Scott McTominay, who’s become the ultimate super sub.
Despite the Scot’s heroics, he doesn’t feature in the first-choice midfield, and therefore, there is a potential signing who could be a huge upgrade on the 27-year-old.
Man Utd’s search for a midfielder
According to reports from Italy via TEAMtalk, Man United are interested in acquiring the services of Teun Koopmeiners.
The midfielder is thriving in the Atalanta squad, and the Red Devils have been scouting him throughout the campaign.
Juventus are set to challenge United for his signature, but the Serie A club are set to demand £47m, which inevitably puts the English side in pole position.
Atalanta are willing to sell Koopmeiners for the right price, and given that outgoings are almost guaranteed at Old Trafford, a move is far from impossible.
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ByTom LeverApr 10, 2024 Why Koopmeiners is a huge McTominay upgrade
There’s no two ways about it: McTominay has been the definition of clutch this season, netting seven league goals in 27 matches, but only three of them have occurred when featuring in the starting lineup.
The United academy graduate has mainly played as a box-to-box midfielder this campaign, which makes his goal tally impressive; however, he often struggles to offer anything else other than finding the back of the net.
A goal-scoring midfielder is an incredible asset in any team, but the problem with McTominay lies in the lack of impact he has when playing in the middle of the park, with even the basics not being performed at times.
However, the signing of Koopmeiners would enable Ten Hag to still have a midfielder who knows where the back of the net is, but also one who’s extremely well-rounded.
Goals
0.45
0.40
Passes completed
35.93
24.68
Key passes
1.98
0.46
Progressive passes
5.58
3.08
Shot-creating actions
3.80
1.20
Touches
58.04
43.95
Tackles won
0.87
1.20
Firstly, the Dutch midfielder has versatility in abundance, as he can comfortably play as an attacking midfielder, a number eight, and as a defensive midfielder, which makes him so valuable.
This season, he’s mainly played slightly further forward, hence why the former AZ Alkmaar ace has netted an incredible 13 goals across all competitions, which is more than McTominay and even Bruno Fernandes, who has ten.
It’s quite clear that the Scotland international and Koopmeiners have completely different profiles, with the former relying on athleticism and physicality rather than technical class like the 26-year-old, as shown by all the passing statistics.
Furthermore, considering the number 7s job in the Atalanta side demands far fewer defensive actions than McTominay's, it’s interesting to see that their tackle statistics are relatively similar, but Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has previously alluded to the fact that he's previously played as a centre half.
Overall, the “brilliant” Koopmeiners, as dubbed by Kulig, offers everything that McTominay does and more. His signing would definitely improve the Red Devils.