Manchester United are in the market to sign their second midfielder this summer. A lot of fans hope to see a backup option for Casemiro. The reliable Brazilian had a great debut season, but was hardly rotated out of the side, and when he was missing from the starting lineup, that overall presence was missed. who will Erik Ten Hag choose to help eradicate some more pre-existing issues before the start of next season?

Romeo Lavia

Southampton’s 19-year-old starlet Romeo Lavia has registered a high amount of interest in the Premier League due to the perception of him having a high ceiling in a top European side.

Strengths

In his debut season for the Saints, Lavia played alongside James Ward Prowse for the most part, showcasing his potential to be a really good ball carrying midfielder. Nimble enough to weave out of tight spaces and deceive those looking to pickpocket. That’s also reflected statistically as he sits in the 75th percentile (1.13 Per 90 Successful Take-Ons) when being compared to midfielders in Europe’s top 5 leagues over the last year.

What supports that skillset is his distribution of the ball. The sample size when it comes to those statistics are very low due to playing for a bottom 6 side in attempted passes per game (431.3). Nonetheless, Lavia still produced at a high level with an overall pass completion of 86.2%. His long balls stand out as a lethal attribute, looking to find wide players from deep positions, and the Belgian also has an eye for a killer through ball which impressively can be executed with either foot.

Weaknesses

What hurts Romeo Lavia is that he is a complete negative aerially. He doesn’t seem to be up to the challenge at this moment of time and if he is going to become an elite defensive midfielder, being in the 7th percentile for duals won (0.28 Per 90) simply won’t cut it.

Attacking wise, Lavia hasn’t been a legitimate goalscoring threat and may not be someone you could rely upon to contribute at a decent level at any point of his career. That does depend of how he develops and what’s required of him in the future. When looking to shoot, there isn’t much conviction and that often leads to scuffed strikes going out of play.

When in advanced positions, you’ll often see a Bruno Fernandes for example drop into a half space & offer support to a winger or full back to set up a potential crossing opportunity. At this moment of time Lavia also struggles with that aspect of his game. The Belgian fails to get lift or accuracy on many of his attempts which adds to those attacking deficiencies.

Sofyan Amrabat

This seems the more likely of transfers right now, with Sofyan Amrabat reportedly wanting the move!

The now Fiorentina player once was managed by Erik Ten Hag at FC Utrecht where he played 50 times under the Dutchman’s tutelage. In an interview with The Athletic earlier this year, he spoke about Erik Ten Hag being proactive in his personal development.

“A lot of coaches are busy in general with the team but he put a lot of time into individual work because he knew if the individual was better the team would be better”.

Strengths

Sofyan Amrabat’s a good carrier of the ball who uses a mix of power and finesse to drive. When under pressure, teams can depend on the Moroccan to make correct decisions even when receiving the ball from the backline.

Defensively, Amrabat has showcased a level of efficiency and solidity that Manchester United fans will appreciate. The volume of tackles statistically are low, but when he does decide to get stuck in, he rarely loses (0.59 Challenges Lost Per 90).

His reliability defensively also gives Ten Hag a bit of tactical versatility when his fullbacks decide to engage in attacks. For Fiorentina he has been able to drop in-between defenders to create a back three. His tenacity in wanting to win the ball back can also be a massive asset when pressing as a unit.

Weaknesses

Much like Romeo Lavia, Amrabat lacks that presence when competing in aerial duals. Far away from a Casemiro who sits in the 96th percentile for duals won.

As I continue to write this article, it almost seems like rather than recruiting a perfect 1:1 rotational option. Man Utd may be looking to bring in players who possess unique attributes in comparison to their peers at Old Trafford. Adding a bit of variety when being faced with different scenarios depending on the opponent.

Another thing I also wanted to mention was Sofyan Amrabat’s aggression in challenges. You may notice that I spoke about this topic in his strengths but it could act as a double edge sword at times. That aggression can lead to fouls committed or the player finding himself out of position in an attempt to win back possession.

Conclusion

Both midfielders possess attributes that will be beneficial for the club. Age wise, Lavia is extremely young and that somewhat reflects with his skillset. A lot of potential with weaknesses that need good coaching and patience to iron out over time. Amrabat is arguably in his prime as a 26-year-old, looking to take that next step up after impressing at last years World Cup in Qatar, reaching the semi-finals with Morocco. A well rounded player that you’d have more confidence in to hit the ground running.

Which player do you prefer, and if it was down to you, should it be Romeo Lavia, or Sofyan Amrabat? Let me know in the comments. Take care!

Romeo Lavia or Sofyan Amrabat. Which player would you sign for #ManUtd?

— CM22ENT (@CM22ENT) August 2, 2023

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