Manchester United will be hoping for a season better than their previous one in 2024/25.
They finally know who their manager will be; Erik ten Hag will keep his job at the helm of the club, following the club’s post-season review. It was confirmed recently by reputable journalist David Ornstein that the Dutchman will lead his side into the next campaign.
Indeed, the Red Devils will need to improve on their lacklustre Premier League efforts. They finished eighth in the league, with 60 points and a -1 goal difference, eight points behind Aston Villa in fourth. However, they massively overachieved. As per Understat’s expected points metric, they should have finished 14th, with just 44xPTS to their name.
An FA Cup final victory secured United both a trophy and a spot in Europe next season. Goals from academy graduate duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo sealed the win over Manchester City, giving Ten Hag his second trophy in as many years and a place in the Europa League next season.
United will need to dip into the transfer market over the summer in order to strengthen their squad for next season. Already, they have been linked with one player who can add both depth and quality to their squad.
Man Utd target La Liga attacker
The player in question here is Barcelona and Brazil striker Vitor Roque. The 19-year-old joined Barca in a big-money move from Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense in January but has struggled to find his feet and could depart the club this summer.
At least, that is according to reports in Spain, via Football365. It’s explained that the Red Devils have already placed a bid for Roque, but have “had their first offer” rejected by the Spanish giants.
This transfer rumour comes after his agent, André Cury, called former manager Xavi out in May for Roque’s lack of game time. Cury said that the young Brazilian will only leave permanently and that nobody “understands why Xavi doesn’t play him” stating that they will speak to the club in due time.
This has opened the door to a potential move to Old Trafford for Roque. However, a potential transfer fee has not been named should United look to sign the Brazilian. However, as per Football Observatory, Roque is valued at £51m. Barca paid £25.6m up front for Roque, with a suggested £26.4m in add-ons potentially being paid.
How Roque would fit in at Man Utd
To say Roque was underused last season by Xavi would be something of an understatement. He made 14 La Liga appearances, scoring twice. However, the 331 minutes he played equates to just three full 90-minute games.
However, he is still a quality striker despite being just 19 years of age. In Roque’s final season in the Brazilian Serie A, he scored 12 goals and registered three assists in 25 games, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig explaining that his “quality is indisputable”, whilst also praising his mentality.
The teenager is an excellent ball carrier, something that is reflected in his Fbref stats. The youngster averages an attempted 3.50 take-ons per 90 minutes, and completes 1.17 of those take-ons. This places him in the top 7% and 16% respectively of strikers. Not only that, he averages 1.37 carries into the final third, ranking him in the top 12%, and 1.17 carries into the penalty box, placing him in the top 11%.
This carrying from deeper areas could suit United down to a tee. Roque would offer a completely different profile than Rasmus Hojlund, who impressed in his debut season at Old Trafford. The Dane scored 16 goals in 43 appearances during the 2023/24 campaign.
Last season, Hojlund was used as a back-to-goal type of striker,for United, whereas he is perhaps better utilised in another way. As Sky Sports analyst Adam Bate pointed out, Hojlund “would prefer to be running channels, finding space with his movement” than holding the ball up and carrying from deep.
However, Roque, a slick dribbler, may be better at dropping deeper to link up play. He is just 5 foot 7 and uses his slight frame to help slalom around defenders. Dropping deeper would allow him to dribble from deeper areas and carry the ball forward, or link up play with opponents offering a completely different profile to the Dane, who prefers to get down the sides of the pitch.
Described as “truly magnificent” by the aforementioned Kulig, although we haven’t seen the best of him at Barca, he is no doubt a talented player. Just look at his form during his final season in Brazil. If this is a deal the Red Devils get over the line, they would add a new profile to their squad and bring in another exciting and talented centre-forward.
