Manchester United's hunt for a midfielder is back to square one after a deal for Adrien Rabiot collapsed.
The Frenchman had been seen as an alternative to long-term target Frenkie de Jong and the Premier League side had agreed a fee with Juventus for the player. United's poor start to the season has underlined their need to get more players through the door and their quality in central midfield has been cited as a weakness.
Their recruitment staff may have to go back to the drawing board however after Rabiot's wage demands saw the deal go south. United were willing to make the former PSG man one of their highest earners on around £250,000-a-week, but the player still wanted more and the two parties look to have walked away from the agreement.
It leaves United in desperate need of new targets with time running out in a window that has already underwhelmed and left the club under prepared for the start of the new season. Several players could still be viable options, and we take a look and who they could target next.
Youri Tielemans
It is a surprise to some that the Leicester man remains at the King Power Stadium with his contract winding down. He has less than 12 months to run and the Foxes could cash in for the right offer, although with time running out United need to act sooner rather than later.
The Manchester outfit were linked with Tielemans when he first impressed at Leicester during a loan move. The player opted to sign permanently, but there has always been the feeling he would eventually move to a major club. United are certainly struggling, but the way the Belgian controls the tempo of games from the middle would be a key asset.
Casemiro
Real Madrid's enforcer would have to accept, for the meantime at least, a drop in class and the question is whether he's prepared to turn his back on silverware to be part of the rebuild at Old Trafford. Casemiro has been part of one of the most praised midfields of the modern era in Spain.
The Brazilian has been accused of employing the dark arts during his career, but that bite is exactly what United and Erik ten Hag need right now with their season threatening to spiral out of control. Raphael Varane proved that players are willing to make the switch and with new faces arriving at Los Blancos Casemiro may want a new challenge.
Ruben Neves
This is one of those transfers that has threatened to happen in recent summers, but never materialised. Neves continues to prove his quality at Molineux, even in a Wolves side that have been inconsistent. The biggest hurdle for United in Wolves' reluctance to sell - and their valuation.
A fee as high as £60m has been touted for the Portuguese midfielder, although he did speak about potentially looking to pursue a new challenge at the end of last season. For now, he remains a Wolves player and, with United desperate, the Midlands club won't be dropping the price anytime soon.
Moises Caicedo
If you can't beat them - buy them. Caicedo put in a stellar performance for Brighton and Hove Albion on the opening day as they won at Old Trafford and the Ecuadorian is now among the next names on United's list after the collapse of the Rabiot deal, although his employers are adamant they won't sell.
United have long had Caicedo on their radar, dating back to his time at Independiente del Valle. He only made his Brighton debut in April, but has become a regular, yet with Yves Bissouma already leaving this summer it is highly likely that the Seagulls will stand their ground barring a mind blowing offer.
James Ward-Prowse
Widely considered one of the Premier League's underrated stars, the biggest hurdle United would have is getting him away from his beloved Southampton, where he has spent his entire career. Ward-Prowse has become the heartbeat of the midfield at St Mary's and has attracted interest in recent years.
The player himself has confessed he cannot do anything about the speculation. Ward-Prowse is contracted until 2026 meaning it would take a huge offer to convince Southampton to sell, but the midfielder does have a huge asset when it comes to set-pieces which could be a huge advantage.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The Lazio midfielder is another man who seems to have been forever linked with a Premier League switch, but his club have continued to hold firm. Their president recently said: "Milinkovic for 50 million? At that amount I won’t sell him, he’s worth much more. Our market is complete and finished."
The Serbian has been a regular for some years now and his European experience will also be a plus for United as they go back to their shortlist and review their options with a report claiming the player's representatives have offered him to the Red Devils.
