Manchester United lost 2-0 to a revived Tottenham Hotspur team over the weekend, handing them their first Premier League loss of the 2023–24 season.

There were several subpar performances throughout the game, with summer signing Mason Mount unable to provide Erik ten Hag with the spark he needed as he made only 15 correct passes.

Could the Dutchman be tempted to return to the transfer market and recruit another midfielder in light of this terrible performance?

The current Paris Saint-Germain star is attracting interest from the Red Devils.

Who else will Manchester United bring in?

Marc Guehi and Benjamin Pavard have recently been linked to the Old Trafford side, but now that Harry Maguire’s transfer to West Ham United has fallen through, it appears that Ten Hag is looking to strengthen other parts of his club.

Get Football News France has confirmed that United have expressed interest in midfielder Marco Verratti, who is reportedly free to leave PSG this summer, according to French news site L’Equipe.

His 11-year spell in the French capital appears to be coming to an end, but they will face fierce competition from Bundesliga powerhouses Bayern Munich for his signing.

Verratti appeared to be headed to Saudi Arabia early in the transfer season, but PSG and Al-Hilal couldn’t agree on a price, and it appears that he could be available for €60m (£51m).

The calibre of Marco Verratti?

The international midfielder from Italy joined the French team in 2012 and has since established himself as one of the best players on the continent. He has won numerous awards during his 11 years with PSG, including nine Ligue 1 championships and more than 400 club games.

Gianluigi Buffon previously referred to the 30-year-old as “the only genuine talent in Italian football at the minute” and the midfielder has statistical traits with current Chelsea prodigy Moises Caicedo.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion star, who recently broke the British transfer record by moving to the Blues for £115 million, is ranked third among players in Europe’s top five leagues by FBref, after Verratti and Messi.

It isn’t a bad analogy given his quick ascent and stellar performances for Brighton and Hove Albion over the last 12 months; if Ten Hag signs the PSG star, he may find his own Caicedo.

Verratti and Caicedo had comparable numbers for pass completion percentage (92.6% vs. 88.5%), tackles won (51 vs. 58), successful take-on percentage (54.7% vs. 51.9), and shot-creating actions (83 vs. 88) during the previous campaign.

This shows they are both excellent passers and can create a lot of scoring opportunities while still paying attention to their defensive responsibilities, which is something United sorely needs at the centre of their midfield.

Verratti and Caicedo are fantastic players to have to direct the play and win the ball back frequently, according to WhoScored, who also indicates that both of them are excellent passers and defenders.

Caicedo will have the chance to establish his value by leading Chelsea in the future, but the Italian has been doing it at PSG for years.

Ten Hag and his engine room may receive the much-needed boost from luring him to Manchester.