As Manchester United tick another fixture off of their 2021/22 schedule, their glaringly obvious weakness becomes just that little bit more apparent.
United's desperate need for a top-level, world-class holding midfielder player has now reached a point where almost everyone knows it.
While the club secured their long-term right-wing target last summer in the form of Jadon Sancho, as well as sourcing a world-class centre-back in Raphael Varane, they failed to act on their need for a defensive-minded midfielder to bring balance to the side.
As the season has developed, and Ralf Rangnick has got himself sitting comfortably at his desk at the club's Carrington training base, United's need for a world-class midfielder has never been so obvious.
Despite, as reported by the Manchester Evening News last month, United being set to prioritise the addition of a holding-midfield player in this month's January transfer window, the likelihood of one putting pen to paper ahead of the 11pm deadline on January 31 is somewhat slim, despite the evidence showing that it needs to happen mounting significantly.
Although, as anyone who works in football will tell you, scenarios can change at the drop of a hat in the January window, it is highly likely that United will have to wait until the summer before they fix their latest problem.
Declan Rice of West Ham, Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham and Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara are just some of the names gaining traction, with the rumour mill always circling around United.
But considering that United also face the challenge of appointing a new permanent manager this summer, with the club yet to source a permanent replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they could find themselves killing two birds with one stone, so to speak, if they launch a double raid on Ajax.
Erik ten Hag, who remains a popular choice with a vast number of United supporters, is understood to be one of the frontrunners to take over the Old Trafford reins and he may highlight highly-rated Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch as a possible option to fix the problem.
Although the 19-year-old may not be as well known among United supporters as Rice or Bellingham, Gravenberch is a star in the makinga and a player that could really suit the Reds.
Standing at 6ft 2ins, Gravenberch — who will celebrate his 20th birthday just a day after United's final Premier League home game of the season against Chelsea — is a tall and physical figure, capable of screening the back-four and offering a noticeable presence in the centre of midfield. He is also a threat at set-pieces, amid United's glaring weakness of being unable to score from corners this season.
Despite his tender age, Gravenberch has already racked up almost 90 appearances for Ajax, scoring 10 goals and claiming 11 assists, highlighting that he has a creative side to his game as well. He's usually played as a box-to-box midfielder who can provide the goods at both ends of the pitch, similarly to Wolves ace Ruben Neves — another player often linked with United.
While several United supporters may point to Gravenberch's unfamiliarity with the Premier League and his youthfulness as being two possible pitfalls — and the plight of their 2020 signing from Ajax, Donny van de Beek — it is worth remembering that any transfer is a gamble.
But if United were to convince Ten Hag to swap the Johan Cruyff Arena for Old Trafford, it would no doubt make Gravenberch's transition a whole lot easier, not least in the sense that it would be a familiar face for him, but also the fact that he has thrived under his fellow countryman and felt valued.
There is, at this moment in time, nothing to say that Ten Hag will definitely get the job, nor is there anything to say that Gravenberch would immediately become a target if he did. But United's midfield woes need addressing as soon as possible and in Gravenberch they could source one of the most exciting midfielders for the present and the future.
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