It is thought that Tiemoue Bakayoko is Manchester United’s first choice. However consistent interest from Chelsea is making them look at his teammate Fabinho.
They came together to form the midfield axis that drove Monaco to Ligue 1 victory and the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2016/17.
Bakayoko is considered to be the slightly better of the two. The choice for Manchester United is do they want the better player but end up in a bidding war with Chelsea? Or is Fabinho good enough to be the guy who can solidify their midfield?
It appears that the Old Trafford hierarchy are leaning towards the Brazilian. Fabinho is a former full back and is a natural tackler. He does not offer the same attacking thrust of his teammate but he will be a better fit in the United midfield.
Because United were strong defensively last year and lacking in attack you may ask why they want to invest in a defensive player. Especially as their first signing is a defender. Surely they need to pursue a forward or an attacking midfielder?
Well, Jose Mourinho doesn’t think his attacking options are as bad as they seem. One of the reasons they lacked energy in connecting attack and midfield is players were out of position. Pogba and Herrera often were playing in more defensive midfield roles while the attacking was led by Mata or Mkhitaryan.
Buying Fabinho, or indeed Bakayoko, frees up the current midfield two – especially Pogba – to go forward. Whoever they decide to pursue they will be able to adapt better next season to take on both the Premier League and the Champions League.
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