Three defensive midfielders Manchester United should be looking for

Bengaluru, July 15: Manchester United did finish second in the Premier League table last season but it has been years that they actually looked to be in contention for the Premier League title. They have seen several managerial changes since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson but the Red Devils have never looked the same in their post-Fergie era.

Since club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the hot seat following the sacking of Jose Mourinho back in December 2018, the club has seen some steady progress and at the moment, they do look too far from challenging for their favourite silverware i.e. the Premier League again.

With the Red Devils set to welcome their long-term target Jadon Sancho imminently, their attack should be significantly bolstered but an area of concern for the club still remains to be addressed and that is lack of a solid defensive midfielder.

Nemanja Matic is currently 32 years of age and looks well past his peak while the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay are clearly not up to the mark in the number six role. In modern football, the absence of a world-class number six can hurt a team dearly and Solskjaer's next target should be a number six after completing the Sancho deal.

In this article, we will take a look at three defensive midfielders Manchester United should be looking for:

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - Fulham

Raiding a relegated club for their best players is a trick Liverpool have perfected over the last few years under Jurgen Klopp as the Reds recruited key players like Andrew Robertson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri from clubs who got relegated.

These deals have been economic for the Reds and two of those three signings have been absolutely crucial behind their success while Shaqiri has also contributed when he was needed to deliver. Manchester United should take a lesson from their bitter rivals and could raid recently-relegated Fulham for their star man Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

The 25-year-old has showcased a tremendous work rate throughout the last season and would do well in the high-intensity work ethic which Manchester United seem to be instilling into their squad. The Cameroon international is an excellent ball winner and is not a typical modern-day number six but can still be a solid option due to his possibly low asking price. The former Marseille star could prove to be an ideal short-term fix at a low price at Old Trafford and a solid quad player in the long run.

Teun Koopmeiners - AZ Alkmaar

AZ Alkmaar skipper Teun Koopmeiners has an incredibly low release clause of just £14.85 million in his contract and for that price, he would be a no-brainer for any top team in Europe. Having come through the youth ranks of AZ, he currently captains his boyhood side and that speaks volumes about what the sense of leadership and organisation he brings into the game. A left-footed defensive midfielder with an excellent eye for a pass, Koopmeiners resembles Nemanja Matic in many ways and should prove to be a solid long-term successor of the Serbian international.

An all-round defensive midfielder, Koopmeiners has an incredibly solid positional and defensive awareness. He is more of an interceptor than a tackler thanks to his intelligence on the pitch and the Dutchman is also an excellent progressive passer of the ball. The 23-year-old has another valuable trait and that his versatility which allows him to operate as a ball-playing centre back. At just £14.85 million, the Dutchman could prove to be a daylight robbery.

Declan Rice - West Ham United

Declan Rice would ideally be the best possible recruitment in the number six role for Manchester United but the only hurdle for his signature would be his asking price which is believed to be around the £80 million mark. Especially after the club set to make the mega-money signing of Jadon Sancho imminently, making another huge signing in the form of Rice could prove to be difficult in the current scenario unless there is a windfall due to sales of players.

Rice is a home-grown talent and is just 22 years of age and already has so much experience in his locker. He is on the back of an incredible Euro campaign and looks to have cemented his place in the England side for many years to come.

£80 million is certainly a pretty high fee but for one of the biggest talents in English football, it is not completely unjustified. Rice has what it takes to become the best in his position in the whole of Europe and it is needless to say that he should be the absolute first choice for Solskjaer as he looks for a new defensive midfielder.