Who should play in midfield for Man United next season?

If there’s one thing Man United have it’s a lot of midfielders. The club has a wealth of senior midfielders on the books as well as exciting youth prospects such as Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellisitri.

It’s a problem most managers would dream of, but it proved to be quite the selection dilemma for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season.

Solskjaer will presumably line up with a midfield three next season, with Rashford and Sancho having to support Greenwood or Cavani in attack, leaving three spots vacant in the center of the park. It's a certainly an issue Man United need to sort out.

Man United's Midfield issues

Though Man United has some defensive issues last season, a lot of their problems came in midfield. Solskjaer’s preferred preference last season was to line up with two central defensive midfielders in Fred and McTominay to protect the shaky centre-back pairing of Maguire and Lindelof. It looked too negative at times and meant that Man United lacked a creative spark, often relying solely on Fernandes to find the killer ball to unlock a defense. Fred and McTominay both had great seasons, especially with the Scot, who also scored a respectable seven goals. Fred has improved a lot under Solskjaer, though was still guilty of conceding possession too easily at times. For all McTominay and Fred offer in a defensive sense in shielding the back four, they really lack creativity, slowing down the pace of Man United’s attacks. The signing of Rafa Varane would seem to imply that only one of the duo will be needed to safeguard the defense and for pure energy and commitment, McTominay should get the nod over Fred.

Fernandes will of course be a first-choice starter next season. The Portuguese is probably Man United's most important player, scoring 28 goals last season, 18 of which were in the league. Last season he seemed to be the club’s sole creative spark though Edinson Cavani showed his class in the second half of the season.

Fernandes lacking a suitable partner

The main issue for Solskjaer would seem to be who lines up alongside Fernandes. The obvious candidate is Paul Pogba as he has proven that he can link up well with Fernandes in the past. However, Pogba has proven to be at times a defensive liability, giving the ball away in dangerous areas and not being disciplined enough. Throughout his Man United career, Pogba has been incredibly inconsistent, never really playing well on a regular basis. Donny Van De Beek is another option. He has a similarly creative brain to Fernandes, being on the same wavelength. He is also neat and tidy in possession and more diligent than Pogba in tracking back to defend. He made a bright start to his time in English football, scoring on his debut against Crystal Palace before finding playing time very limited as the season went on.

Lingard a wild card option?

Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata are both too old to be playing regular first-team football but they can provide suitable cover. The final player who could play with Fernandes is Jesse Lingard. Lingard hasn’t been a regular starter for the last couple of years, but looked revitalized in his loan spell at West Ham, scoring nine goals in 16 appearances. He looked much more like the player he used to be for Man United. At his best, Lingard is full of energy and running and has an eye for goal, especially spectacular strike. Lingard's on top form would be an interesting option for Man United but it seems much more likely that he will be a squad player next season or possibly leave the club this summer. Van De Beek will surely get more game time than last season and is maybe the best option to line up alongside Fernandes, especially if Pogba leaves in the summer.

Though Man United have several options, a three of McTominay, Fernandes and Van De Beek may be the best midfield combination to opt for. There is plenty of creativity and defensive discipline and McTominay and Van De Beek will provide the drive and intensity to back up Fernandes’ supreme talent.