Throughout the Erik ten Hag era, not just during a dismal 2023/24, Manchester United have often looked like a team crying out for a ball-carrying central midfielder. Ten Hag has had classic destroyers like Casemiro, gifted yet sluggish playmakers like Christian Eriksen, energetic shuttlers like Fred, and a bonafide creative kingpin in Bruno Fernandes. Where Manchester United have frequently been found wanting, however, is when it comes to a midfielder capable of picking up the ball from deep and driving through the thirds, skipping through challenges and turning defence into attack in an insta…