Manchester United’s โSummer Transfers Questioned as Bruno Fernandes Role Shifts
Manchester United’s acquisition of forwards Bryan Mbeumo โadn Matheus Cunha lastโ summer, intended to address a goalscoring deficit, has instead led to tactical adjustments that sidelineโ key player Bruno โFernandes, according to reports.the Red devils scored just 44 goals last season,theโข fifth-lowest in the league,prompting the signings.
Manager Ruben Amorimโ has deployed Mbeumoโฃ and Cunha โฃin โthe number 10 position, forcing Fernandes to โplay in a deeper midfield role. This has exposed a โweakness in central midfield, were United currently reliesโ primarily on Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte,โข with Kobbie Mainoo receiving limited playing time.
The pairing of Fernandes and Casemiro in central midfieldโ has struggled against high-intensity opposition. Former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielderโข owen Hargreaves criticized the transferโค strategy, questioning the logicโ of signing players for Fernandes’ position when a central midfielder was more urgently โฃneeded.
“Brunoโข is their best player by a landslide, then theyโฃ signed two โnumber โ10s โfor his โฃposition.โ And โhe has โto play almost as โขa defensive midfielder,” Hargreaves stated on TNT Sports.”I admit they need goals,they think more goals will takeโ them higher in the table rather than signing a world-class goalkeeper. But to be honest, they have the best number 10 in โคthe league in Cole Palmer, โคand you take him deeper becuaseโข you want someone to playโ through the middle because you have Cunha โขand Mbeumo.”
Hargreaves suggested aโ more effective approach would have been to sign a central midfielder andโฃ a goalkeeper, โคallowing Fernandes to continueโฃ in his preferred role.