It’s a tale as old as time. A club outside the top-6 threatens to break through. After a successful season, their best players are poached by the elites. They fall from grace, and a new upstart takes their place and so on the cycle goes. The flavour of this season is Brighton and Hove Albion. Roberto de Zerbi has done a tremendous job, picking up where Graham Potter left off to make Brighton a threat to the top six.
Needless to say, their players are being targeted. Manchester United have been linked with a few players who would undoubtedly make the team better. Brighton’s scouting system is the envy of the football world right now, and these players are the ones United should be going after with urgency-
Alexis Mac Allister
A World Cup winner, proven in the Premier League, a consummate professional who fills a position of need. What’s not to like about Alexis Mac Allister and Manchester United’s fit? Reportedly, the club agrees and has already made moves to sign Mac Allister.
Christian Eriksen has been run into the ground this season. The same goes for Bruno Fernandes. Marcel Sabitzer’s emergency loan has yielded mixed results while Fred and McTominay’s appearance means a huge drop-off in quality from the first-choice players.
Mac Allister’s versatility means he can play alongside Casemiro in a pivot in a 4-2-3-1, or give Bruno a rest by playing as the No 10 in the same formation. Furthermore, he is equally as comfortable playing as one of the two central midfielders in a 4-3-3 ahead of a defensive midfielder.
He would solve United’s ball progression issues to some extent. His new-found goalscoring prowess also means he can answer Erik ten Hag’s call for more players to contribute to the scoresheet.
Grade: A
Moises Caicedo
If Alexis Mac Allister strengthens the attack-minded midfield department, Moises Caicedo would arrive to deputise Casemiro. Lauded as the “cement between the stones” by Erik ten Hag this season, Casemiro’s defensive nous of breaking up play has transformed the club this season.
Casemiro answered United’s call who had lacked a pure defensive midfielder since Nemanja Matic’s first season. True to form, United have looked like a far worse team in his absence. In acquiring Moises Caicedo, United’s defensive midfield would be stocked with two quality options. Moreover, Casemiro was more of a “win-now” signing as he turned 31 in February.
Caicedo would arrive, learn from the best in the business, and then take over full-time in a year or two as Casemiro’s role would be best utilised intelligently due to his advancing age. Manchester United anyways play so many games in a season that even if Casemiro is first-choice, Caicedo would easily get at least 30 games next season if he arrives.
Grade: B+ (Due to the player being wooed by Arsenal in the January window)
Robert Sanchez
It has been a tough few weeks for Robert Sanchez. Usurped by Jason Steele at Brighton as the first-choice goalkeeper, Sanchez has had to be satisfied with cup appearances.
However, his quality is not in question. Regularly a part of the Spanish national setup, Sanchez is the prototypical modern goalkeeper. Ten Hag has backed David de Gea publicly this season but his exorbitant wages and iffy fit with United’s style of play means he can’t be the club’s long-term option.
Robert Sanchez would be an astute signing. He is proven in the Premier League, fits with Erik ten Hag’s vision of football, and would be more affordable than other options like Diogo Costa as his contract expires in 2025. Add the fact that the majority of United’s dressing room speaks Spanish, and Sanchez would take no time to acclimatise himself to his new surroundings.
Grade: B (Better options elsewhere, but a smart addition overall)
Honourable mention: Evan Ferguson
Evan Ferguson recently signed a new contract at Brighton which ties him to the club till 2028. However, the reality of modern football means that contracts are basically a ploy for the selling club to strengthen their position in the market instead of actually keeping the player.
Aged just 18, Ferguson is just one of the numerous attacking players who have flourished this season under De Zerbi’s free-flowing football. Before he signed his contract, Manchester United were in the queue to sign the Irish international, as were a host of other clubs.
However, United’s striking situation means they would be more willing than anyone else to splash the cash. While this move might be difficult in the upcoming summer window, a future move to United shouldn’t be ruled out for Ferguson. Even on the player’s side, he would do well to establish himself at Brighton for another full season before moving to bigger pastures.
Grade: B (Sterling option, but deal unlikely in the near future)
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