As Manchester United played out a 0-0 draw with Sunderland, it was perhaps not a surprise given the team selection from Michael Carrick.

With no Benjamin Sesko and no Casemiro, it fell to Joshua Zirkzee to play up top and for Mason Mount to play alongside Kobbie Mainoo.

With Zirkzee replaced just after the hour, that selection clearly had not worked. Mount's inclusion was also not worthwhile. It highlighted precisely why United need to sign one or two midfielders this season. It also highlighted why the former Chelsea man should follow Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte out of the exit door.

Casemiro was a huge miss on Sunday and if they don't strengthen sufficiently this summer, he will be a huge miss next season too.

Fortunately, the Red Devils are ramping up their efforts to acquire a replacement.

Man Utd ramping up hunt to sign the new Casemiro

Name a midfielder and it's likely they will have been linked with the Red Devils in recent months. Jason Wilcox and Co are set to spend a huge amount of money on acquiring not just one, but two central players to bolster the middle of the park.

United have had personal terms in place with Brighton's Carlos Baleba for nearly a year while it's reported that Brazilian midfielder Ederson has also been offered a contract to join the club.

Ederson would cost around £40m, far less than £80m-rated Baleba and also far less than the likes of Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali who have been rated as highly as £100m.

A slightly cheaper option than the Premier League pairing could be Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman hit the headlines this week after getting into a fight with teammate Fede Valverde that allegedly left the latter hospitalised.

Both players were fined a whopping €500,000 but the sense is that it is unlikely to have a negative impact on their futures at Real Madrid.

Despite that, Tchouameni remains a target for the recruitment team at United. Reports have already suggested that talks have been opened with the player's representatives.

Speaking about the Frenchman's situation in recent days, Fabrizio Romano revealed: "Manchester United love Tchouameni. They believe he is one of the best midfielders in the world, so for sure they would love to make it [a deal] happen."

How Tchouameni compares to Anderson and Tonali

It's safe to say that Anderson and Tonali are two of the finest players in their position in the country.

Tonali plays a rather underrated role at Newcastle but the former has been earning rave reviews all season long, most notably from Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel who called the Nottingham Forest man "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League."

Seemingly a dead certainty to start next to Declan Rice for England at the World Cup, there is a reason that Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to prise him away from the City Ground this summer.

As a box-to-box option, Anderson would be a fabulous capture. Compared to Tchouameni, he ranks highly for attacking metrics. Yet, with United craving more of a number 6 to replace Casemiro, the Frenchman is your man.

Celebrated as "the best defensive midfielder in the world" by former teammate Chema Andres, the Madrid superstar is right up there with the likes of Rodri and Declan Rice for disrupting play and getting the ball back.

Compared to Anderson and Tonali, the Madrid midfielder is some way behind when it comes to progressive carrying. The two Premier League targets would certainly be a bit more energetic and fleet-footed in central areas.

However, the most important thing when it comes to replacing Casemiro is winning duels and that is where Tchouameni is elite. He ranks incredibly highly for tackles and interceptions, as well as aerial duels won. In that regard, he's one of the finest European football has to offer.

Anderson is the more rounded footballer, hence a potential £100m price tag, but at a possible £70m, Tchouameni looks like the perfect Casemiro replacement as an out-and-out holding midfielder.