Three Midfielders Who Could Be The Perfect ‘Frenkie De Jong Alternatives’

Erik Ten Hag has been a man behind a big mission. A mission of rebuilding United with powerful players who could drive the club for years.

Seasons after season, the club has been playing with the same midfield combination with Fred, McTominay, and Pogba playing the majority of the games. Snuck in Nemanja Matic and that is all that the club had over the past four to five years.

But things have to be changed and Erik Ten Hag was appointed to bring that change. The rebuild started weeks back as players like Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Nemanja Matic all confirmed their exits.

But when it comes to signing new players, Manchester United is still busy with the negotiations. The board is looking to strengthen the midfield position and at least add two signings in that zone.

The player that has been very closely looked upon is Barcelona maestro Frenkie de Jong. He is deemed as the ideal signing for Erik Ten Hag but still, there are some differences in opinion between the player and the club.

This has delayed the entire transfer. But if United want to move ahead, they should be looking for alternatives. And here are the three midfielders players that could perfectly fit the bill for Erik Ten Hag:

1. Declan Rice

Declan Rice has been a long-term target for teams like Manchester United and Chelsea. The West Ham United defensive midfielder was earlier played as a center-back but then shifted to the midfield role. He is currently the vice-captain of the squad.

What he brings to the table is just a complete midfield profile for such a young player in the Premier League. His ability to break up attacks, slow down counter-moves, and win possession is impressive.

He has the ability to use both of his feet with equal confidence which makes it difficult for the opposition attackers to outrun him.

Also, his strong aerial play, neat interceptions, and ball awareness make him a player who resembles closely to N’Golo Kante.

5,152 – @_DeclanRice has carried the ball 5,152 metres in the Premier League this season, the highest figure for any player in Europe's big five leagues in 2021-22. Lung-busting. pic.twitter.com/WbY5dkMdrf

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 21, 2022

For Erik Ten Hag, these could be priceless assets, as he always gave importance to this position. At Ajax, he had Frenkie to play with, which gave his attackers freedom to run forward without worrying about their defense.

Ten Hag mostly instructs his defensive midfielders to protect the back-four and also channel key passes to the forward players.

How Would Declan Rice Fit Into Erik Ten Hag’s System?

Declan Rice could partner well with Fred as both the midfielders are known to cover every blade of grass. Also, this could mean that Fred could get more freedom to play forward, while Rice picks up the defensive duties.

Manchester United have let in a lot of goals as they failed to track back quickly during counter-attacks. With Rice, Ten Hag would shift to a back three while attacking and that would also mean.

This could give greater freedom for the full-backs to move forward and Rice will then handle the defensive duties with the other two center-backs.

With Harry Maguire deemed as slow and the club looking to sign a new centre-back, Rice would be a strong pacy addition to the current United squad.

An Analysis Of Declan Rice’s Statistics In The Year 2021/22

Statistics as provided by The Premier League’s Official Website:

Interceptions: 63

Tackles: 80

Ball Recoveries: 286

Passes completed: 1292

Clearances: 49

2. N’Golo Kante

Chelsea magician N’Golo Kante has been a crucial player for Thomas Tuchel in their recent title-winning year. Not only for Tuchel, but he was even a regular under Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard.

He is the type of player that every manager would love to have on his team. On one side his humbleness wins hearts and on the other side, his playing skills win games.

N’Golo Kante has been mostly used as a central or a deep-lying midfielder. In both the positions he has been able to win defensively, stop counterattacks and also provide passes to the final third.

Must Read: Erik Ten Hag wants to sign Chelsea magician N’Golo Kante 

He has been upgrading his attacking skills over the years which has led to him scoring goals and providing assists as well. For France National Team, he has performed admirably well and has won the trust of Deschamps.

His ability to deliver spot-on tackles and interceptions is unmatchable. He has excellent positioning awareness and is known for his high stamina and ability to cover every blade of grass while on the field.

How Would N’Golo Kante Fit Into Erik Ten Hag’s System?

N’Golo Kante’s ability to single-handily win defensive moves could be a gem for Erik Ten Hag. Tuchel used him alongside Kovacic who himself partnered really well with the Frenchmen.

Paul Pogba used to play with N’Golo Kante for France, but his exit means that Ten Hag would look to combine Kante with another midfielder.

Also, Kante’s quick awareness will help players like Bruno Fernandes and Fred, to move further forward and help the attackers.

Also, the midfielder could easily play in a 4-3-3 formation and still dominate the center of the field.

An Analysis Of N’Golo Kante’s Statistics In The Year 2021/22

Statistics as provided by The Premier League’s Official Website:

Interceptions: 31

Ball Recoveries: 153

Duels Won: 119

Tackles: 59

3. Kalvin Phillips

Kalvin Phillips is known as the engine of the current Leeds team. He has improved immensely under Bielsa over the years and his tactical game does highlight these facts.

He has been playing as a deep-lying midfielder and has often been seen moving behind to assist his center-backs. This gives much more freedom to the full-backs to perform much higher up the pitch.

Also, he is very strong physically and his tackles success rate is also quite high. For Manchester United, it does mean that they could have another English player in their squad who would have immense Premier League experience.

Also Read: Paul Pogba digs aim at Manchester United as he outlines his demands

The Leeds midfielder has been a long-term target for the club but his release clause had kept him away from a transfer.

How Would Kalvin Phillips Fit Into Erik Ten Hag’s System?

Erik Ten Hag would love to use his full-backs more and that is possible if he has Kalvin Phillips in his starting XI. He could be an excellent defensive player as he could sneak in between the two center-backs and form a three-man defense.

Also, his quickness and physicality give him the extra advantage of shrugging off pacy attackers at will. This could help players like Jurrien Timber to shift his role as a full-back and improve attacking output.

Phillips is also known to provide long crosses upfront as he has been delivering to Raphinha at Leeds. This could help provide pinpoint crosses from the back.

An Analysis Of Kalvin Phillips’s Statistics In The Year 2021/22

Statistics as provided by The Premier League’s Official Website:

Accurate Long Balls: 69

Ball Recoveries: 180

Interceptions: 24

Tackles: 54

Statistical Comparison Between The Three Defensive Midfielders: