Jaap Stam has identified two Premier League midfielders he would like to see at Manchester United, as the club prepares to complete its first summer signing. United have agreed a £35 million deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Ederson, who will join after the World Cup. Ederson will be the first acquisition of the Michael Carrick era, but the former United midfielder wants at least one more central midfielder to strengthen the squad.
United's midfield overhaul
Manchester United will be without Casemiro next season following his departure, and the club is open to offers for Manuel Ugarte after two disappointing years at Old Trafford. West Ham's Mateus Fernandes appears to be United's primary target, with the Red Devils reportedly leading Real Madrid and Arsenal in the race for his signature. However, United legend Stam has named Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali as his preferred choices.
Baleba was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford last summer but endured a frustrating season on the south coast. Despite this, United remain interested in the 22-year-old, who is known to be keen on the move. Tonali, meanwhile, is expected to leave Newcastle this summer and has already been the subject of a £75 million bid from Tottenham, which was rejected. United have a long-standing interest in the Italian but are reluctant to meet Newcastle's asking price of at least £85 million.
Stam's standout targets
Asked which midfielders United should target this summer, Stam told ComeOn: 'I like Carlos Baleba from Brighton, he still stands out to me. I also really like Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for that role. These two stand out for me as players I'd like at Manchester United.'
Stam acknowledged the difficulty of signing such players due to high transfer fees. 'It's not easy to bring in these players because, nowadays, the transfer fees are very high. But if you want to be successful, you need to be very good in your recruitment, looking at your system and who you need to bring in. You also need to spend, which everyone knows. It is very important to make the right decisions,' he added.
Expert backing for Tonali
In an exclusive interview with Metro, former England midfielder Danny Murphy also endorsed Tonali, along with Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, as ideal midfield targets for United. 'The two obvious ones would be Elliot Anderson or Sandro Tonali,' Murphy said on behalf of NetBet football. 'Both players have wonderful energy and great tenacity. They are the perfect type of Premier League midfielders who would improve United. If I was the head of recruitment at United, I'd be doing everything I can to get one of those two.'
