Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is getting complicated. Casemiro is gone. Manuel Ugarte is out long-term. Ederson walked through the door, fine, but that’s one guy. Michael Carrick needs at least two more bodies in that engine room, and the options United wanted — Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes — both went to rivals. So the club is scrambling a little. That’s where Neil El Aynaoui comes in.
The AS Roma box-to-box midfielder just had a World Cup that changed everything. Playing next to Ayyoub Bouaddi in Morocco’s midfield, El Aynaoui didn’t just hold his own. He outplayed guys like Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Ryan Gravenberch, and Frenkie de Jong. That’s not hype. That’s what happened on the pitch. He dictated tempo, shut down attacks, and moved with the kind of athleticism that makes scouts reach for their phones.
The Premier League buzz is real
According to Teamtalk, a bunch of Premier League clubs are now watching the 25-year-old closely. We’re talking Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, Newcastle, even Sunderland. Intermediaries have already reached out to those clubs about his availability. El Aynaoui’s camp is pushing hard for a move away from Roma, where he barely played this season after signing from Lens. They want a bigger role, and they want it in England.
The guy is becoming a man in demand fast. Multiple European clubs have made contact, believing they can offer him more minutes than he’s getting at the Stadio Olimpico. But the Premier League looks like the frontrunner. And for United, the timing couldn’t be better.
Why this makes sense for Ineos
Here’s the thing about El Aynaoui: he won’t cost stupid money. After West Ham wanted crazy figures for Fernandes, United needs a realistic target. El Aynaoui is a workhorse, he’s proven at a World Cup, and he’s still young enough to grow. The club’s midfield is thin. Really thin. Carrick needs guys who can defend, pass, and run for 90 minutes. That’s basically El Aynaoui’s resume.
Some fans might not know his name yet. That’ll change fast if United moves. He’s built for the Premier League — strong, composed on the ball, and willing to do the dirty work. Roma barely used him, which is weird, but that’s also why he’s gettable. Ineos should have all the motivation they need to win this race. The only question is whether they’ll act before someone else does.
Buda Mendes via Getty Images contributed to the photo used in this report.
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