Man Utd XI to be picked by ‘main target’ Enrique could be boosted by two signings worth £165m
After spending a week searching for a suitable club legend to replace Ruben Amorim until the summer, INEOS have landed on Michael Carrick over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Carrick is probably the more sensible, albeit boring, option out of the two, with three factors said to be in his favour over the manager he previously assisted at Man Utd.
And now that the Red Devils have a new interim boss until the summer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his recruitment team cannot afford not to get the permanent appointment right if they want any hope of ‘Mission 21’ coming to fruition.
So, as tempting as it may be to appoint Carrick permanently if he guides Man Utd to Champions League qualification, INEOS must not fall into this trap again after the previous mistakes made with Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.
Instead, a high-level manager is required to sort out the mess at Old Trafford, and several credible candidates are already in the frame.
READ: Premier League manager rankings: where do Amorim and Maresca land in list of all 28(!) managers?
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner did himself no favours in the FA Cup at the weekend, but this is a rare blot on his résumé, and he had been earmarked as an early frontrunner to be Man Utd’s next permanent boss.
However, the latest reports have indicated that PSG boss Luis Enrique has risen to the top of the list as Man Utd’s ‘main target’ among four options, with Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino also mentioned.
Enrique is one of the very few elite managers currently in football, and it would be wonderful for the Premier League to have him in England, especially with it likely that Pep Guardiola’s time at Manchester City is close to an end.
There have been murmurs about Enrique leaving Champions League holders Paris-Saint Germain in the summer, but this does not necessarily mean he will end up at Man Utd, with Liverpool and Man City far more likely if their managers’ jobs were to become available in the near future.
But if logic was thrown out of the window and Enrique does join Man Utd, how would their team look next season?
Well, it would look very different based on formation alone, as Enrique is renowned for his fluid 4-3-3 formation and this could be used to good effect by Man Utd, provided there are some notable purchases in the summer.
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
* Xabi Alonso to Man Utd ‘plan’ ON as club spots his ‘potential’
* Man Utd ‘target’ perfect £20m midfield signing – so how will Wilcox and Ratcliffe screw it up?
* ‘No-brainer’ – Rooney reveals he ‘would’ accept Man Utd coaching role under Carrick
Starting with the goalkeeper, summer signing Senne Lammens picks himself after slotting in seamlessly following his move from Royal Antwerp. This department was a major problem position last season, so it says a lot about how well the 23-year-old has performed that it is now a non-topic.
Man Utd, unlike in midfield and up front, are also pretty strong in defence as they have an array of options, with Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu currently standout candidates to start at right-back and left-back should they revert to a back four.
Dalot looks far more at home at full-back than wing-back as he was one of Man Utd’s most consistent performers before Amorim changed the system, while Dorgu, despite still being quite raw, has shown signs of promise and could be excellent if he can hone his craft under a brilliant coach.
At centre-back, Enrique would likely favour Leny Yoro alongside Matthijs de Ligt as they provide a nice blend of being dependable defenders that can also cope with having the ball at their feet.
The most significant changes would come in midfield, which is inevitable regardless of whether Enrique takes charge or not.
It is being widely reported that the Red Devils will prioritise landing two new midfielders in the summer, with these signings likely to fill the void left by Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
Amorim is said to be the reason why Fernandes stuck around in the summer, and without the head coach around, INEOS can take one of their last chances to cash in on their club captain for a sizable fee to raise funds for a rebuild. Casemiro, meanwhile, needs to be eased out of the picture for a long-term replacement, even if he accepts a large pay cut to stick around for another year.
In this case, the dream scenario for Man Utd would be the signings of Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton to replace Fernandes and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba to replace Casemiro.
READ: Caretaker Carrick? Fine. But Man Utd must move for Tuchel, Enrique next to avoid Ten Hag repeat…
Wharton, who could reportedly be bought for a reasonable fee of £65m by a Champions League club in the summer, and Baleba, who is still likely to cost around £100m following United’s failed move last year, could operate alongside Kobbie Mainoo.
England international Mainoo is the big winner of Amorim’s sacking, and this is going to be a big year for the centre-midfielder, with the appointment of Enrique (or an alternative of a similar calibre) enough to help Man Utd with their campaign to land Wharton and Baleba.
In attack, Benjamin Sesko is Man Utd’s current striker project, so he would remain as their No.9 under Enrique and potentially be supported on either flank by Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford.
Matheus Cunha is an option to cover multiple positions, but Mbeumo and Rashford are more natural fits for the wide roles in Enrique’s formation.
Mbeumo is already a vital player for Man Utd, and while Rashford has proved his worth at Barcelona, their lingering financial problems hinder a deal, and he’ll definitely be more open to a return to Old Trafford without Amorim and with Enrique takes charge.
