Manchester United’s search for a deep-lying midfielder continues with just weeks of a frustrating transfer window remaining.
This summer, long-standing players Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic left Old Trafford, but the Premier League side has been unable to sufficiently replace the trio.
Man United have signed Christian Eriksen following his six-month spell at Brentford.
However, manager Erik ten Hag has deployed him as a deep lying midfielder, despite him being an attacking midfielder and having options such as Donny van de Beek available.
Regulars Fred and Scott McTominay have had poor starts to the campaign, exacerbating the situation, while United appear set to miss out on long-term target Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona.
The Red Devils have also shown strong interest in Real Madrid’s Casemiro and Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot – but both deals appear to be off the table.
So who are the alternatives before the transfer deadline on 31 August.
Here, talkSPORT looks at who is still available and could be signed by the desperate Premier League side.
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Moises Caicedo (Brighton)
It’s understood the Red Devils are ‘expected’ to bid for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo.
United have shown interest in the determined midfielder before in January 2021 and could have signed him for around £4million.
But a deal never materialised, with him joining Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle instead.
The 20-year-old scored against the Red Devils in his side’s 4-0 demolition of them back in May and also played the full 90 minutes in the Seagull’s victory over them on the opening day of the season.
Now, United want to bring him in to bolster Ten Hag’s midfield.
They may face a stumbling block, though, with Brighton having ‘no intention’ to sell their midfield maestro.
However, it’s been reported that the Manchester outfit are pressing ahead for the star, which may be helped by Caicedo previously admitting it was ‘his dream’ to play for the club.
Ruben Neves (Wolves)
Wolves midfielder Neves has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
But now could be the time for United to strike with the Midlands club striking a £38million agreement with Sporting for midfielder Matheus Nunes– with the deal expecting to go through by Friday.
It’s clear Neves would give the Red Devils’ midfield a real boost, with him able to dictate the tempo of any match – something United desperately need.
With under two years left on his contract, and a wealth of Premier League experience, Neves may be the answer to Ten Hag’s midfield headache.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)
The 27-year-old Serbian international is another player who seems to have been linked to United for a very long time.
And the Manchester Evening News reported the club were considering a move for the Lazio star, with them lining up a £57.5m bid.
The central midfielder is under contract with the Serie A club until 2024, however it’s been reported Lazio are happy to sell him.
However, it’s understood Tottenham are interested in the midfielder, too.
Fabian Ruiz (Napoli)
Manchester United transfer target Fabian Ruiz refused to sign a new contract with Napoli this summer, according to The Sun.
It was understood the Serie A star was also garnering the attention of Arsenal and Liverpool previously, but that United had since considered Ruiz during the breakdown in negotiations with De Jong.
However, the 26-year-old is now heavily linked with Paris Saint-Germain and did not feature for Napoli against Verona due to talks becoming more advanced.
But with negotiations still going on, Man United could still make a swoop for the £17m Spaniard who made 38 appearances for his side last season.
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