Doom and gloom have encased Manchester United over the last decade or so. Remarkably it has now been over ten years since they last won the Premier League but brighter times lie in wait.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS at the helm, a rosier picture has been painted. A new Old Trafford could be in store but first and foremost, there is the summer window to navigate.
Where United find themselves next term remains to be seen. They are behind in the race for Champions League football but a dramatic FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool eight days ago has offered supporters renewed hope about Erik ten Hag’s side.
So, how do they go about improving this team? There will be plenty of ways no doubt about it, but bringing through the youth would certainly be a smart idea. We’re talking about you, Kobbie Mainoo.
Man Utd's summer transfer targets
After their defensive positions have been pillaged by injuries this term signing a new central defender should certainly be high on United’s agenda.
Leny Yoro of Lille has been linked while there have been further stories to suggest that Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite might be on the agenda. As we said, more youthful figures appear to be the order of the day at Old Trafford.
That remains the case when considering Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel. A report from Sky Sports back in the middle of February suggested that he was an option for United this forthcoming summer.
They suggest that the Red Devills are ‘keen’ on acquiring the forward who is very much among their options.
A move could be quite a pricey one given Tel’s reputation, although CIES Football Observatory value the 18-year-old at £32m.
Why Mathys Tel is a bigger talent than Kobbie Mainoo
When discussing the great Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate several years ago, United legend Rio Ferdinand muttered the following words: “People try and make comparisons about who’s better, just enjoy them man.”
We’re not for one moment saying that Tel and Mainoo are in the same category but we’re going to ignore Rio’s advice for now to justify why the former would be such an exciting signing.
Mainoo has burst onto the scene this term with some aplomb. Before the 2023/24 campaign commenced the midfielder had played just three times for the club with his sole start coming against Charlton Atheltic in the Carabao Cup.
Well, fast forward to the current campaign and our man Mainoo is now an undroppable figure in Ten Hag’s side.
He was first inducted into the team in 2023/24 against Everton in a 3-0 win at Goodison Park and since that moment the teen hasn’t looked back. Mainoo has missed just two league games since that win, starting 11 of the 12 matches from the 0-0 draw with Liverpool onwards.
Such dazzling consistency for one of the world’s biggest clubs has seen the 18-year-old handed his England bow already. Gareth Southgate proclaimed when announcing his squad for the latest fixtures that Mainoo wasn’t ready. However, after seeing him in action in the FA Cup quickly had a change of heart. The youngster was called into the senior side immediately and then came off the bench against Brazil last Saturday.
On the flip side, Tel is yet to make his debut for the France national team. Hardly a surprise given the remarkable amount of talent Didier Deschamps possesses but it surely won’t be too long.
After all, the attacker may well be a bigger talent than Mainoo. Mainly capable of playing off the left wing, the Bayern sensation has been in superb form after bursting onto the scene this season, scoring eight goals and supplying four assists across 33 outings.
Tel’s form has led him to be described as a “ball-striking machine” and an “elite level goal-scorer” by analyst Ben Mattinson, with FBRef’s castle of stats detailing even further why he’s so exciting.
Compared to the likes of Phil Foden, Lamine Yamal and Bukayo Saka by the stats-based platform, among similarly positioned players in Europe’s top five leagues, the Frenchman ranks inside the top 2% for non-penalty goals, assists, touches and successful take-ons. You name it, Tel has it.
Interesting to note is that he’s also ranked ahead of Mainoo in GOAL’s NXGN list for 2024, a renowned award each year which determines the best young talent on the planet.
#15 Guillaume Restes
Toulouse
#14 Kendry Paez
Independiente del Valle
#13 Roony Bardghji
FC Copenhagen
#12 Jorrel Hato
Ajax
#11 Antonio Nusa
Club Brugge
#10 Leny Yoro
Lille
#9 Claudio Echeverri
Man City (River Plate loan)
#8 Kenan Yildiz
Juventus
#7 Kobbie Mainoo
Man United
#6 Vitor Roque
Barcelona
#5 Arda Guler
Real Madrid
#4 Mathys Tel
Bayern Munich
#3 Warren Zaire-Emery
PSG
#2 Endrick
Palmeiras
#1 Lamine Yamal
Barcelona
That’s quite the list of players but only goes to show how highly rated the Bayern superstar is.
Mainoo has been nothing short of incredible for United this term, but in Tel, they may well sign a player with an even higher ceiling. Isn’t that a little bit exciting.
Man Utd must rue losing a "wonderkid" who's now worth as much as Mainoo
The incredibly talented youngster left Old Trafford looking for first-team football.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 19, 2024
