United have been heavily linked with Ryan Gravenberch and Sofyan Amrabat this summer after midfield problems emerged

After their tense victory over Wolves in the first game, there was a clamour for Erik ten Hag to bolster the midfield. Following the 0-2 loss to the Spurs, the calls grew considerably more urgent.

Mason Mount was acquired by the Red Devils from Chelsea earlier this summer, but so far the England international hasn’t been able to help United find a balance. He is unfit to play down in the midfield and does not connect up well with Casemiro. Both Gravenberch of Bayern Munich and Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina should be of interest to United. Any rookie must be creative in the middle of the field and capable of effective long-range defense.

After great performances at Ajax, Gravenberch joined Bayern Munich last summer with great expectations, but suffered a disappointing first season in Germany, with six Bundesliga starts. But at the age of 21, the Dutchman’s potential is clear. Despite a lot of reserve, Gravenberch has shown a really impressive offensive ability, making an average of 3.91 shots per 90 minutes.

Amrabat is a different type of defensive midfielder. He possesses an enviable passing ability, with 38.37 averaging and successful passes every 90 minutes, more than Gravenberch’s 21.1.

Defensively, Gravenberch surprises with more tackles and intercepts per 90 minutes than Amrabat last season (2.66 vs 2.03), despite playing in a more favorable position, attack more. At the same time, he also has a higher average number of interceptions and clearances than the Moroccan international. That shows the comprehensiveness the Dutchman can offer, making Gravenberch a more valuable option for United. One thing that is impressive is that both midfielders like to hold the ball, having similar numbers of drags.

Ten Hag has worked with both players before, but this strategist seems to be most impressed with Gravenberch. In April 2022, Ten Hag said: “Despite his young age, Ryan has a lot of experience and, above all, won titles.

“He’s very important to the team because he’s a box-to-box player. Ryan dribbles well, passes the ball extremely accurately and knows how to participate in building the game. Thanks to his fitness and ideal physique, he’s also strong in duels, transitions and can also recovers the ball.”

There is no denying Amrabat’s qualities, although the statistics show that Gravenberch is the more comprehensive type of player. Ten Hag always wants his players to be flexible, and Gravenberch can take on some midfield roles when needed. He can be the solution to the current Man United midfield problem.