Cole Palmer or Morgan Rogers? Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole debate who Manchester United need this summer - 'Throw the kitchen sink at it'

React to this story

It is set to be a huge summer transfer window for some of the Premier League's top teams, with legendary players moving on and star names after big moves. TNT Sports experts Steven Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves and Ally McCoist have given their thoughts on which players would suit the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea on The Breakdown.

A replacement for Casemiro? A Fernandes successor? What do Man Utd need this summer?

Video credit: TNT Sports

The Breakdown team have been previewing what could be a significant summer transfer window for the top Premier League clubs.
TNT Sports experts Steven Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves and Ally McCoist sat down with Darren Fletcher to discuss what each team needs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Will we see the Manchester rivals do battle for Eliott Anderson's signature? Who would Liverpool's "box-office" replacement for Mohamed Salah be?
This is what they had to say...

Manchester clubs to battle for Anderson?

Elliott Anderson's sparkling campaign for Nottingham Forest put the league's top clubs on red alert heading into the summer window, with a couple of them in need of a central midfielder.
He has been linked with Man City, but Hargreaves said he would be "surprised" if he ended up with Pep Guardiola's side with their current midfield options.
The ex-midfielder feels that the 23-year-old could be more suited to Man Utd, considering the club's history of having England's best in the middle of the park.
"If you look at the great Liverpool teams and United teams, they kind of had England's midfield," he told TNT Sports. "I think they've gone away from that. I think you're United and you're squad planning, I would say, 'I want England's future midfield'."
picture

'Nothing short of sublime!' - 'Perfect' Wharton delivery sets up Palace opener

Video credit: TNT Sports

United already have Kobbie Mainoo in their ranks, but Hargreaves added two more names as potential acquisitions to complement their fellow countrymen.
"I'd try and get Morgan Rogers or Cole Palmer," he claimed. "Throw the kitchen sink at it. If you had those, you're competing for a while."
Gerrard had a contrasting view, with Casemiro set to leave the club, but feels it is only a matter of time before Cole Palmer returns to Manchester with his boyhood club.
"I'd splash it in a different area, I'd splash it on a replacement for Casemiro," he said. "If [Bruno] Fernandes was to go, you'd take Rogers all day long.
"As a No. 10 to replace Fernandes, I would say Rogers, but I think Palmer's more lined up for further on. United probably need Rogers more."

Anderson 'tailor-made' for Liverpool, but they need 'box-office' Salah replacement

picture

‘Buy someone who is box office’ – Gerrard on potential Salah replacements

Video credit: TNT Sports

Liverpool is another club who have been linked with the English midfielder, but with Mohamed Salah set to leave the club, who could they replace him with?
The Reds enjoyed a record-breaking summer, spending nearly £450 million in a bid to defend their title.
It has not gone that way, and club legend Gerrard does not feel they will have another "blockbuster" window, but instead one that will help to "balance the squad".
The former England captain wants to see a "powerhouse in midfield" at his old club, while they could do with adding a "one-v-one merchant who can go on the outside" on the flanks in a bid to counter their "predictable" style of play this season.
But switching focus back to the midfield, he said: "They've not got someone in there who can put fires out and be dominant in midfield.
"I'd just like them to go out and get a really dominant defensive midfielder who can help protect the back four a little bit more."
Hargreaves added: "Anderson is tailor-made for them. I could see Elliot Anderson there. He creates a lot for a central midfield player. I think he's got a bit of bite about him, he can sit in there and do that."
Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, Bradley Barcola and Yan Diamonde were all mentioned by The Breakdown team as potential wide additions.
But former Man Utd and Bayern Munich midfielder Hargreaves only had one player on his mind to replace Salah.
picture

'Top, top quality!' - Olise scores another stunner as Bayern rack up the score against Atalanta

Video credit: TNT Sports

"You've got to go ready, tried and tested. For me, that would be [Michael] Olise," he said.
"I don't know [if he would be available] but if you're talking Olise on the right-hand side for Liverpool, that would be box office.
"Honestly, he's just got something so different. He's so relaxed, it's actually amazing. You need that, to deal with the pressure of playing for a massive football club. You need somebody quite special; he could be that guy."
Gerrard added: "You have to buy someone whose box office, or you're not replacing Salah. They have to be top-end, top three or four in the world to replace Salah because that's what he's been."

Will Man City finally replace Walker?

Gerrard thinks so, and he thinks he has the answer.
Matheus Nunes has done a "steady job" in the team, he insisted, but there is a player who would take Guardiola's side up a level, which Hargreaves called a "perfect" fit.
"You can see them going for [Tino] Livramento," he said.
"If you think about the job Kyle Walker has done for seven or eight years, he's been world-class. There's a gap there for them to replace that area."
Bernardo Silva's contract is also coming to an end, and that will be another City great who will need replacing.
Anderson has already been mentioned as a potential City signing, but is that who they need? Or is there someone else, already playing in the league, right under their noses?
"You couldn't get more different, Elliott and Bernardo," Hargreaves said. "That is going to be a hard replacement. It's like a Pedri type.
"I'd be amazed if nobody came in for Guimaraes. He could [replace Silva] or Casemiro [for Man Utd]. He's got something, he's the captain, he can score, he can stop people and he can play.
"He's probably at an age where he's probably thinking that he can play for Real Madrid or Barcelona and probably thinking, 'I want to test myself against the best'."
picture

'Relief on Tyneside!' - Guimaraes seals crucial victory for Newcastle with late strike

Video credit: TNT Sports

Arsenal urged to sign future 'star', Chelsea need a 'spine'

McCoist already feels that Arsenal have one of the best squads in the world, but will "have to get a few out the door" to fund any summer business they may have planned.
Gerrard thinks "they'll go for someone on the left" of midfield, but asked, "How do you get that team and that squad better?"
Hargreaves has the answer in the form of a 21-year-old playing under ex-Gunners ace Cesc Fabregas.
"There's a young lad that plays for Como, Nico Paz," he declared.
"The joy that they had getting [Martin] Odegaard from Madrid. This kid, you'll see him at the World Cup. He's a 10 [out of 10].
"Mikel [Arteta] will know this, he's going to be a star. He's young, so there might be [an issue with] the price, but if you don't ask you don't get. A player like that could suit Arsenal."
picture

Cesc Fabregas and Nico Paz

Image credit: Getty Images

Across London, Chelsea are in a similar situation, having spent excessively on a big squad, but not a squad ready to compete for the biggest honours, the panel feels.
The Blues have been prioritising young talent in recent years, which McCoist feels "is the road they're going down", but plans may have changed after they were handed a suspended transfer ban.
Can they win anything with this team, or is now the time to add some senior players and a robust spine?
"Think about all that money they spent," Hargreaves said. "Their centre-halves who play are academy graduates, [Trevoh] Chalobah and [Levi] Cowill.
"I think it's good to have academy boys within the team, but you've spent a billion pounds or more, that should be the start of what you build around. Two world-class centre-backs and then it goes and gives the boys the license to go and attack and play. If you don't have that, I don't think you can win."
Garred added: "To complement your match-winners, you have to have the right spine in your team.
"You'd like to say [Moises] Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes are good enough. Palmer, obviously world-class. They've got [Pedro] Neto, Estevao and all the match-winning options, but to actually win the big prizes, are the centre-backs and the goalkeeper good enough?"

Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max
Join 3M+ users on app
Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports
Download
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement