As they enter the summer vacation after a strong first season under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United will be trying to leave their dismal FA Cup final loss in the rearview.

The Dutchman not only brought the Old Trafford team its first championship since 2017, but he also led them into the Champions League group stages. Now that his rookie campaign is over, he will be seeking to elevate the Red Devils throughout 2023–24.

But in order to accomplish this, he will need to bring in a few more new players and send some old ones packing. There will be a similar expectation that he will make significant acquisitions this summer after luring players like Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro to United last summer.

According to Spanish media reports, United has been linked to midfielder Federico Valverde. However, president Florentino Perez has stated that it will take an offer of roughly €80 million (£69 million) in order for negotiations to start.

Do you think Federico Valverde will help Manchester United?

The 24-year-old Uruguayan is at the peak of his career and has had a glorious run of success at Madrid, winning two La Liga championships and a Champions League trophy. If he were to join United, they would gain from his winning mindset in the centre of the midfield.

The midfielder’s resemblance to Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City, who FBref claims is the player who most closely resembles Valverde, is another factor that could benefit the Red Devils. Given the German’s remarkable career, in which he has garnered 13 major accolades and evolved into the driving force behind Pep Guardiola’s City juggernaut, it is undoubtedly a fair comparison.

In fact, over the past year, Gundogan has ranked in the top 10% across Europe’s major five leagues for non-penalty goals, touches in the attacking penalty area, and total shots per 90, while the Uruguayan has ranked in the top 10% for non-penalty goals and total shots while falling to the top 21% for touches in the opponent’s box per game, indicating that the pair overall provides an excellent goal threat from the centre of the midfield.

Ilkay-Gundogan-Manchester-City
The fact that none of United’s centre midfielders scored more than seven goals last season suggests that they could gain from this. Gundogan offers a similar influence at City, ranking similarly highly for the same metrics, suggesting that Ten Hag could have a world-class operator as the fulcrum of his side should he sign him this summer. Valverde demonstrated his importance to Madrid by ranking as their third-best player in La Liga, fifth for goals and assists, and sixth for key passes per game.

Joe Cole, a former Chelsea player, praised Valverde as “unbelievable” in the latter part of last season. The 24-year-old has proven his mettle at the Bernabeu, so a switch to Old Trafford wouldn’t likely phase him.