Amorim's own Rodri: Man Utd agree personal terms to sign £26m sensation
And breathe. It’s finally happened. Manchester United have reached a breakthrough with Brentford for the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, who will join Old Trafford in a deal worth up to £71m.
Of course, the Cameroon winger hasn’t signed yet, with his medical slated for this weekend. But this is a significant step forward, ending the interminable negotiating with Premier League rivals Brentford for their star man.
United have bagged Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m; Ruben Amorim is redefining his frontline, but more is needed to spark a much-needed resurgence after finishing 15th in the top flight and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
In any case, the Red Devils have stepped in the right direction, but more is certainly needed.
The latest Man Utd transfer news
United have secured their offensive flanks, but they still need to sign a striker, with Rasmus Hojlund flattering to deceive last season, scoring just four times in the Premier League.
However, with Christian Eriksen having left at the end of his contract, United also need to improve their midfield, and while a wealth of names, such as Atalanta’s Ederson, have been bandied about, Amorim appears to have centred on a talent who could make a lasting impact.
As per Calcio Mercato Javier Guerra has reached a verbal agreement with Man United as he leans toward an exit from Valencia.
The clubs are still negotiating the details, but this is a promising update indeed.
Further outfits from Spain and England have made enquiries, while AC Milan failed with a move in June. The 22-year-old is valued at £26m, but could be a shrewd long-term investment.
What Javier Guerra would bring to Man Utd
Guerra is, thus far, a one-club man, having graduated from Valencia’s Mestalla reserve side to complete 89 senior appearances for the first team, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
Regarded by talent scout Jacek Kulig to be a deep-lying playmaker with a tactical style akin to Xabi Alonso, Guerra would instil composure, ball-playing intelligence and clear vision to Amorim’s set-up, making it easier to put emphasis on transitional play and ferry the ball forward to the likes of Bruno Fernandes.
He would, in this way, prove a seamless replacement for Eriksen, all the while packaging the United system with his own brand, having actually been hailed as a “phenomenal young talent” by journalist Zach Lowy.
Indeed, Guerra ranked among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues last term for shots taken, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.
The Spaniard’s blooming roundedness even suggests that he could be the next version of his legendary countryman Rodri, only this time playing on Manchester’s red side.
To claim that Guerra would emulate his fellow Spaniard Rodri from the off in the Premier League would be a fool’s game, to be sure. Pep Guardiola’s Ballon d’Or winner joined Man City from Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal worth £63m back in July 2019, when he was 23 years old.
Rodri was further in his development than Guerra at that stage, but the similarities are there, even if the Valencia star is more of a pass-focused player than he is, with the City sensation encapsulating every facet of the midfield game to a preternatural level.
The 29-year-old has won the whole gamut with Pep Guardiola at Man City, and he won the 2024 European Championship with his nation too.
If United can forge their own version of the modern great in Guerra, Amorim’s vision truly could have lift-off in the coming months and years.
It would be redundant to contrast and compare Guerra with the current iteration of Rodri, who is both vastly superior and missed the majority of the 2024/25 campaign through injury.
So, instead, let’s have a look at Guerra’s La Liga statistics from the recent term against Rodri’s from his final year in his homeland. Though the latter maintained a higher level, there’s plenty of promise to be taken from the collation.
Matches (starts)
36 (31)
34 (32)
Goals
3
3
Assists
3
1
Touches*
49.8
69.8
Pass completion
80%
91%
Big chances created
6
2
Key passes*
0.6
0.5
Dribbles*
0.8
0.6
Ball recoveries*
5.9
9.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.0
4.2
Duels won*
3.5
7.1
As you can see, Rodri was by far the more combative and commanding midfield general, with his energy and tenacity seen through his rate of defensive contributions and ball recoveries.
But Guerra has put in a terrific campaign on his own merits.
It’s also worth noting that Guerra has been competing in an imperilled Valencia side, who looked doomed and headed for the second tier across the opening half of the season before a resurgence after a wintry 7-1 defeat to Barcelona in January sparked new fluency and focus.
The victory that followed that hammering, by the by, was crafted by Guerra, who scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo.
Certainly, Guerra is showing himself at a younger age to have a bit more creative flair about him than Rodri, who marshalled so confidently an organised Atletico Madrid side.
To set the expectation that he would reach Rodri’s lofty level would be the instant undoing of this talented young midfielder. But can Amorim not fashion his own version, one not expected to reach his compatriots’ level, but instead offer his technical qualities to Man United and improve them?
Signing a rising star with a point to prove is exactly the kind of move Amorim needs to make, and it’s one which might establish foundations for a much-needed revival.
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