Manchester United kick off their season on Saturday afternoon with a repeat of the FA Cup final from last campaign. They face Manchester City in the Community Shield, hoping to recreate the impressive 2-1 win at Wembley just a few months ago, which came thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
Their Premier League campaign gets underway the following Friday, as the Red Devils host Fulham at Old Trafford. It is the English top flight’s season opener and will be the campaign where United hope to reclaim their place in the top four, after missing out last season.
Following the Fulham game, Erik ten Hag’s side have their first trip on the road, as they travel to the AMEX stadium to face Brighton and Hove Albion. This will be the new Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler’s first home game in charge of his new club.
To end their first block of fixtures before the September international break, United face big rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford. This is not a fixture Ten Hag has lost, with two wins and a draw to his name so far on home soil.
The Red Devils will certainly need to add further depth to their squad to help get off to the perfect start and have recently been linked with one man who can add depth to midfield.
Man Utd target Brazilian midfielder
The player in question here is Fluminense and Brazil international midfielder Andre. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder has excelled in recent seasons at Tricolor Flu Fluzao, and could now depart the club he has spent his whole career for a chance to shine in Europe.
According to a report from journalist Ben Jacobs, the Red Devils ‘still appreciate’ Andre, having previously shown interest in signing the midfielder. They have turned their focus his way as an alternative to Manuel Ugarte, for whom United do not want to pay the £51.6m PSG want for the midfielder.
Instead, United could pay a fee of around £30m to recruit Andre this summer. He already came close to a move to the Premier League, with Fulham previously showing an interest, but that deal has reportedly collapsed, as per one report, leaving the door open for United to swoop in.
Why Andre would be a good signing
So far during the Brazilian season, Andre has featured nine times for Fluminense, with a knee injury sadly keeping him out for a large portion of time. He also did not feature for Brazil at the Copa America recently, due to the same injury issue.
However, his quality is undeniable, and he could be a superb alternative option to Ugarte, now United have decided to end their interest in the Uruguay international. The 23-year-old midfielder was described as a "master of the dark arts" by football analyst Ben Mattinson, confirming he is a player who "loves to do battle".
Indeed, this is perhaps exactly what United are looking for at the base of their midfield, a tough-tackling ball-winner. In this sense, he could be a good Ugarte alternative, although might struggle in a single pivot, and the former Sporting midfielder does rank higher than him in some metrics.
As per FBref, Ugarte averages 6.32 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to just 3.82 for Andre, a significant difference. However, they are closer in ball recovery stats, with Ugarte averaging 8.42 per game and Andre slightly less at 7.3.
The gulf between the pair off the ball is noticeable but not drastic, and if he was played in a double pivot with someone like Mainoo or Mason Mount, who also excels out of possession, some of his deficiencies could be hidden.
Stat (per 90)
Andre
Ugarte
Tackles and interceptions
3.82
6.32
Ball recoveries
7.3
8.42
Clearances
1.46
1.16
Blocks
1.35
1.26
However, the Brazilian is also superb on the ball, particularly when carrying forward. He excels in receiving the ball of the defensive line and progressing play through carrying. The Fluminense midfielder averages 0.34 progressive carries and completes 0.45 into the final third each game, showing his willingness to get forward.
Not only that, Andre is also a good progressive passer from deeper areas, and this is also reflected in his stats compared to Ugarte. He averages 5.17 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to the Uruguayan’s 4.05, a clear difference which could help United on the ball far more.
For a fee of around £30m, this is perhaps a deal that United should not miss out on. They do not really have a profile like Andre, and whilst he does have struggles out of possession, he is wonderful on the ball and would add lots of technical quality to United’s midfield.
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1 ByConnor HoldenAug 4, 2024