The £20m World Cup transfer trap Man Utd must avoid

Man Utd's surprise £20m target solves one problem – but creates another may have already signed and Andrey Santos to bolster the midfield options of manager Michael Carrick, but the Red Devils have their eyes set on a third addition in the heart of the field. United are widely expected to chase a marquee third signing following the departure of Casemiro as a free agent and a serious injury to Manuel Ugarte. It is expected that big money will be spent on their final midfield signing. Carlos Baleba, Manu Kone, Eduardo Camavinga and Ayyoub Bouaddi are among the many options being considered after the Red Devils were priced out of deals for Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson. The one quality Man Utd's midfield desperately lacks One quality that United are crying out for in the heart of the field is mobility. It’s something that has been lacking in Carrick’s squad since he took the reins from Ruben Amorim. has emerged as a centrepiece of Carrick’s plans, but his lack of physicality is something that kept him pinned to the bench under the Portuguese and saw him controversially miss out on any minutes at the World Cup. While , the moves to snap up Andrey Santos and Tielemans do not address this issue. Neither is noted for their capacity to cover ground, and this lack of speed could make Carrick’s side vulnerable to mobile opponents with the squad in its current state. Why Nicolas Raskin has caught Man Utd's attention Man Utd have reportedly taken an interest in Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin following his impressive performances for Belgium in the World Cup. Director of football Jason Wilcox has been drawn towards the former Standard Liege star thanks to his performances in North America, the Daily Record (via TeamTalk) reports. And Man Utd are not alone. Real Betis, Villarreal, and Bologna are among the clubs on the continent tracking the 25-year-old, prompting on his head. There is a certain logic to United’s thinking. Raskin is ferocious when it comes to covering ground. He is both quick and relentless, offering the type of defensive cover that United are craving. But there is the question of long-term quality. While he has shone in the World Cup, his performances with Rangers last season were patchy. Indeed, he was even dropped by Russell Martin at the beginning of the campaign due to his poor use of the ball. Data analytics firm SciSports underline that he performed above his typical level with Belgium. Its SciSkill score gives players a rating based on hundreds of in-game data points, with Raskin hitting 65.8. Although this has the potential to grow to 80.9, this is still below all of United’s first-team midfield options. There’s not even a case to be made that Raskin should be signed as a market opportunity. In fact, he’s quite the opposite. Under contract until 2028, his stock is at an all-time high thanks to his World Cup displays. The £20m asking price is substantially above his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of £9.7m (€13.4m). Man Utd's central midfield options (including Raskin) NameSciSkillPotentialBruno Fernandes109.2109.2Youri Tielemans101.1101.1Kobbie Mainoo99.8126.2Mason Mount92.493.5Andrey Santos90.7118.8Nicolas Raskin65.880.9 Why Nicolas Raskin could be another World Cup transfer trap Raskin does tick boxes in terms of what United need in midfield in terms of mobility, ball-winning and energy, but there’s not yet enough evidence to suggest he would be able to meet expectations on a long-term basis. Football history is littered with players who have made lucrative moves off the back of a strong big tournament performance only to flop, and United would be running the risk of completing such a transfer if they were to sign the Belgian.