It’s one thing for Manchester United to be outplayed at the Etihad, but being outclassed away at a struggling Brentford side is even more concerning, with the Red Devils allowing 31 shots against Thomas Frank’s team.

Erik ten Hag’s main issue on Saturday evening was the midfield, with Scott McTominay putting on a worryingly poor performance that highlighted the need for more reinforcement.

With Christian Eriksen and his midfield partner from last season, Casemiro, both expected to leave this summer, the Red Devils must plan to locate a good, long-term replacement for Kobbie Mainoo in the heart of the pitch…

Manchester United’s search for a midfielder

According to sources from Portugal (via Record), Manchester United is vying with Barcelona for the transfer of Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who had a promising first season in Lisbon.

According to the source, both United and the LaLiga heavyweights have been keeping a close eye on the former Lecce player in preparation for a summer move, though neither team has made a formal bid as of yet.

This follows a previous report from The Sun in January, which claimed that Ten Hag and co were considering sending Facundo Pellistri in the opposite direction in order to sign the 24-year-old, with the Primeira Liga side instead waiting to see if anyone would trigger his £69 million release clause.

How does Hjulmand compare to Casemiro?

Hjulmand, described as “playing alongside Mainoo for years to come” by journalist Dean Jones, might be the defensive-minded presence that United require at the base of the midfield, freeing up the young Englishman to perform his magic in a more advanced role.

Mainoo shown in his first senior international start against Belgium in midweek that he has the tools to thrive in a more offensive, box-to-box midfield role, which may explain why former colleague Anthony Elanga has previously compared him to a certain Paul Pogba.

Mainoo, who is not the holding midfielder that many – including Sir Jim Ratcliffe – have indicated he is, need a dominant force to complement him, which is why writer Zach Lowy is interested in a “absolute monster” like Hjulmand.

According to Lowy, a player with the “physicality, positional awareness, and vision to play as a lone holding midfielder” might be Mainoo’s dream partner, with the same source describing him as a “upgrade on Casemiro” for the Red Devils.

That may be a bold statement to make when comparing the lesser-known Dane to a five-time Champions League winner, but based on current form, Hjulmand appears to be the more effective operator for United.

That is evidenced by the fact that, in addition to scoring three goals and assisting three times in the league this season, the Sporting ace has an 87% pass accuracy rate and has created four ‘big chances’, while also demonstrating his defensive prowess by winning 54% of his duels and averaging 5.1 balls recovered per game, according to Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Casemiro, an elderly Brazilian, has only scored once and assisted twice in England’s top flight, with a pass accuracy rate of 83% and only two ‘big chances’ created.

Defensively, the 32-year-old falls short, winning only 49% of his total duels and averaging 4.8 balls recovered each game – despite having a better record for tackles per game (3.1 vs 1.9).

The most striking difference, however, is how easily Casemiro is bypassed in the midfield, with an average of 2.2 dribbles per game in 16 league games, compared to his younger counterpart’s 0.7 dribbles per game.

That alone should demonstrate why a change is required this summer, with Hjulmand maybe the unexpected ‘improvement’ that United is looking for.