The Athletic FFC.

This is Talk the Devils, the Athletic Show dedicated to Manchester United.

Coming up today, we start our three-part series looking at exactly what Manchester United

need to do in the summer transfer window.

There's lots of detail on what we've got, what we need and what Manchester United want as well.

We're going to split it into three.

So the first one today, we're talking about midfielders.

Then on Wednesday, we'll talk about the defence, so the goalkeeper fullbacks and centrebacks.

And then on Friday, we'll talk about the forwards, so the strikers and the wide players as well. Lots of detail to bring you. Hopefully you enjoy it. It sort of informed us as well about what might be ahead over the next few weeks. The lads have been speaking to people. We've been looking into the contract situations and all of that. And yeah, we'll bring you as much as we can as we look ahead to the summer because it's set to be a very busy one. We're in the studio here in Manchester. We've got Laurie and Carl along with us. Andy is here as well, joining us from home. So hello everyone. Let's get straight into it. I mean, it is our idea. However, Prashant has got in touch with us from Malaysia saying across this break, would it be possible if we could just have an episode, stroke discussion, to put the midfield rebuild into some context? Well, we're going to do that. That's exactly where we're going to start. So yeah, midfield, Carl, give us the defensive midfielder. You've been asking for that for at least 10 years now, I think. At least 10 years. I think probably the reason I started picking up football books on tactics

was because partway through David Noises season, I went, something's not right here.

And you're watching loads of television. They're saying it's about mentality, it's about this,

it's about this. I went, no, there's something way more complicated to football that I haven't understood yet because thankfully sir

Alex Ferguson made it all very simple for me and then the more I read the more I read on oh this midfield

thing seems to be really interesting let me learn more about it and United to my mind haven't

quite solved a number of midfield issues for several years.

I think it's quite fitting that we're currently got Michael Carrick in charge,

and yet we've all been saying for ages,

imagine she's not properly replaced Michael Carrick yet.

So here's another submer to hopefully maybe properly replace Michael Carrick in midfield.

Wow. Okay. We don't even know if he needs replacing in the dugout yet, neither to be fair.

So that's another conversation for another day. But Andy, you've said repeatedly across this season

that Manchester United wanted two central midfielders this summer. Is that still your understanding?

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