Man Utd’s ‘maverick’ looks like a bigger talent than Semenyo

The explosive news broke earlier this week that Premier League sensation Antoine Semenyo is likely on the move next month. Unfortunately for those at Manchester United, the Ghanaian appears to be heading to the Etihad.

Yes, despite suggestions that United were one of the favorites to sign the 25-year-old, it appears the former Bristol City man has been swayed by the lure of Pep Guardiola and co, with a £65 million deal close to being completed.

Such developments come at a time when the Red Devils appear desperately short of attacking options, a fact which was no more evident than in Friday’s narrow victory over Newcastle United.

With Ruben Amorim cutting and switching sides in the dying embers, the hosts were left with a forward line that contained Patrick Dorgu on one flank, and Diogo Dalot as the highlight on the opposite side, with the absence of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo keenly felt in this hard-fought encounter.

That being said, last season’s losing Europa League finalists still managed to get the job done against the Magpies, with certainly cause for positivity among the Old Trafford faithful.

Man Utd’s best players against Newcastle

It would be remiss to begin this section without mentioning this man Dorgu, with the 21-year-old Dane looking much improved in his new role on the right flank during this promising first half.

Having scored three of his five goals at Lecce while operating on the right, according to Transfermarkt, the youngster showed why this should perhaps be his permanent home in a United shirt, scoring his first goal for the club in stunning fashion against Eddie Howe’s side.

The January finish also saw another effort denied by Aaron Ramsdale, while picking out Benjamin Sesko with a delicious reverse pass early on, only for the Slovenian striker to squander the opening.

Dorgu was then the star attraction on an evening dedicated to Amorim’s young weapons, with fellow 2025 signee Ayden Heaven also putting in a commanding display at the heart of the backline, even amid so much change around him.

Signed for just £1 million, the 19-year-old continues to make the deal such a coup, having won 100% of his duels on the night, according to Sofascore, while boasting a 94% pass accuracy rate.

Like the return of Lisandro Martinez to his side, Heaven played a pivotal role in United claiming all three points, with the Englishman more than seizing his chance in the absence of Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt.

At the other end of the pitch too, the loss of Mbeumo, Amad and captain Bruno Fernandes allowed another leader to emerge, with Amorim having a new attacking figure to hang their hat on.

Man Utd already have bigger talent than Semenyo

As United’s absentee list worsened after Mason Mount was withdrawn at half-time, it seemed almost inevitable that the home side would drift to another defeat, having been forced to hang on midway through a frantic second half at the Theater of Dreams.

There was, however, encouragingly, some real courage and fight from the players in red, with that will to win perhaps best embodied by summer signing, Matheus Cunha, in his number ten spot.

Operating both centrally and on the left, the 26-year-old has so often been United’s driving force in an attacking sense, having himself pulled off a save from Ramsdale with an effort from the corner, while also launching a handful of attempts wide.

Yes, there is an erratic quality to his game, but time and again the Brazilian is in the thick of the action, demonstrating why journalist Samuel Luckhurst once described him as a “maverick” and a “workhorse” after his promising start to life in Manchester.

While the club’s comparisons to Eric Cantona may be unhelpful and somewhat hyperbolic, a closer similarity may well be to fellow South American ‘maverick’ Carlos Tevez, with the Argentine having also been such a relentless presence in Sir Alex Ferguson’s feared forward line.

Operating alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, the former West Ham United player was not always the star attraction during his two-year stay at the club, although he was just as crucial in that brilliant period of success, racking up 48 goals and assists in 99 games in total in all competitions.

Cunha, these days, has himself been somewhat overshadowed by the goalscoring form of Mbeumo and Fernandes, but as was evident on Friday night, he can be just as instrumental, registering a key pass and completing four of his six attempted dribbles.

While Semenyo could have been earmarked as another option on that left flank, with Cunha reused more centrally, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers hero showed why he should be a go-to starter in his preferred role, having started to pick up where he left off at Molineux.

Only three goals have come his way in a United shirt, although the £62.5million addition recorded 15 league goals last season, having scored 12 the year before. For comparison, Semenyo has only scored 11 and eight goals respectively in the last two top-flight campaigns.

The Bournemouth star’s stock is soaring, but it’s Cunha’s ceiling that appears to be even higher.

In a period of chaos under Amorim, United’s new Tevez will have to shoulder much of the attacking burden. There’s no denying he’ll enjoy it.

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