Manchester United are expected to trim the deadwood from their squad this summer and one position they’re overstocked in is midfield, but Marco Guidi and Andrea Pugliese of La Gazzetta dello Sport say the Red Devils are ‘watching’ Davide Fratessi and could try to sign him when the transfer window opens.
The 23-year-old joined US Sassuolo from AS Roma in 2017 and has gone on to make 67 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals with four assists. He was loaned out to Ascoli (2018/19), Empoli (2019/20) and Monza (2020/21) before cementing a starting place in the Sassuolo side two years ago and hasn’t looked back.
Frattesi, who boasts four caps for the Italian national team, missed just two Serie A games for I Neroverdi last season and has featured in every league game this campaign, so he’s indispensable to Sassuolo.
In United’s squad, the box-to-box player would be third among midfielders for tackles per game (1.8), first among midfielders for successful dribbles (1), and first among midfielders for fouls won per game (1.8), so it’s easy to see why Ten Hag might want him.
The United manager has Casemiro, Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen, Marcel Sabitzer, Fred, Donny van de Beek, Bruno Fernandes, Zidane Iqbal and Kobbie Mainoo at his disposal, but McTominay and van de Beek are two players that have been linked with a move away. Their exit could facilitate Frattesi’s arrival if United lodged a bid this summer.
Van de Beek has started just two league games in 2022/23, amassing 163 minutes of playing time. He’s spent most of the campaign sidelined with injury and has been told he can leave. As for McTominay, the 26-year-old has started seven league outings this season, spending most of his time injured or on the bench, so it’s hard to see him staying beyond the summer either.
Frattesi looks an upgrade on the pair, but the report from Italy doesn’t say United have made an official approach. His asking price is unknown, though Sassuolo director Giovanni Carnevali said in January that he will cost more than €30m (£26.4m).
The Red Devils are likely to be one of many sides interested too, so a bidding war could soon commence.
