Manchester United €60 million transfer could make Kobbie Mainoo even better

What makes Kobbie Mainoo's breakthrough season at Manchester United that bit more remarkable is that he did it as part of such a dysfunctional team.

There is often hesitation about throwing young players into a struggling side in case it has a detrimental impact on their development, with United careful about ensuring their brightest talents are ready for the pressure and scrutiny they receive at such a young age.

Yet rather than being thrown into choppy seas without a lifejacket, Mainoo became the anchor. At a time when they lacked calmness and composure in midfield, he provided just that, with a string of stellar showings at the heart of their side.

After such a feel-good breakthrough campaign, it will be fascinating to see how the 19-year-old gets on next season when the level of expectation will be turned up a notch and Premier League opponents will be more aware of the generational talent he has to offer. Mainoo could not only take his game to another level as part of a functional and fully fit United side next season but also be helped enormously by the club's summer transfer activity and the addition of a midfield mainstay alongside him.

United are looking to add a defensive midfielder to their side in anticipation of Casemiro's exit, with Paris Saint-Germain star Manuel Ugarte viewed as an ideal addition to their side. The 23-year-old could be sold this summer as PSG look to finance their rebuild following the exit of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, with Ugarte a player who would appeal to plenty of teams.

A tough tackler who moulds himself of Sergio Busquets and has been labelled the 'Uruguayan Casemiro', Ugarte would bring tenacity and aggression to a United midfield that missed it for large spells of last season. Last season, Ugarte ranked in the top 99th percentile for tackles per 90 minutes across Europe's top five divisions and ranked in the top 96th percentile for interceptions per 90 minutes. He boasted a pass completion of 91.2%, Casemiro's was just 81.8%, though the Brazilian boasted a better tackle success rate.

The Uruguay international is far from the perfect defensive midfielder, indeed there are plenty of concerns about his discipline and proneness to the occasional rash decision, think Marcos Rojo in midfield form, yet he could be exactly what Erik ten Hag needs to take his team to the next level. With the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes and Mainoo ahead of him and cover from Lisandro Martinez behind, Ugarte could be the missing piece of the jigsaw and successfully bring together all the raw components United have of an excellent side.

On top of all that, his arrival would also ensure Mainoo is allowed to develop in the dynamic midfield role he has been so good at for the last few months, with less emphasis on the defensive duties that restrict his influence at the other end of the pitch.

At a time when Mainoo needs to be relieved from the growing pressure and weight of expectation on his shoulders, signing Ugarte this summer could give him the freedom to play just as he has always wanted to do.