It feels like we’ve been talking about Manchester United’s midfield problem for the best part of a decade now, but any supporter of the club will tell you it’s for good reason.

The Red Devils have tried everything – apart from being a football operation with a plan – in the post-Ferguson era to try and get things firing, and while you can dispute where it’s come from, there’s no denying that money has been spent by the club to try and force their way back to the top of the mountain.

A misfiring midfield has been one of several issues left in the hands of INEOS to fix after years of decay under Glazer rule.

And while your humble Planet Football writer could bang on for hours about the state of the facilities, the lack of communication and *that* Alexis Sanchez deal, that’s not relevant today.

What is relevant is redemptional. Revival. If United fans couldn’t already smell it in the air (perhaps because they’re nose-blind due to all the painting INEOS have had to do around Old Trafford) then they’ve just been slapped in the face with it anyway.

Redemption, revival, whatever you’d like to call it, the Red Devils have found it in the form of Toby Collyer – a young, angry, midfield machine whose best quality can be disputed.

Some will bat for his commitment to the low socks, others will love his fringe – we’re flying the flag for the fact that he’s the tough tackling son of a gun that their midfield has arguably lacked since Roy Keane left the club.

Let us elaborate, because that’s a wild claim and we know it.

Signing from Brighton in 2022 after spending his entire youth career until that point with the Seagulls, United’s capture of Collyer was seen as a major coup.

And while we’ve heard it all before about a youngster who’s ripped it up at youth level and is destined for big things, the 20-year-old midfielder is different.

For all the hype around United’s youth academy, the spotlight has never really shone on Collyer since making the move up north. Perhaps because he doesn’t fit the mould.

Don’t be fooled by the carefully sculpted, swooping fringe – this lad is a machine and his sudden breakthrough to the senior squad is proof.

A silent killer, Collyer’s best work undoubtedly comes off the ball, swallowing up territory and suffocating opposition players in possession seamlessly, before recycling play for his side.

It’s a gap United have been trying to fill since Keane’s departure. Paul Scholes filled the gap as he advanced with age and dropped deeper, Owen Hargreaves was almost the guy before the injuries became too much, and Fergie’s focus on technical excellence after that papered the cracks.

Nemanja Matic even looked like the answer for a short while under Jose Mourinho, but he was never the long-term solution. Collyer, however, might just be exactly that. His Community Shield cameo certainly suggests so.

Reports suggest that United are still desperate to try and get a midfielder over the line this summer, but with the transfer window ticking away and the Red Devils using up most of their spending money, the options are slim.

Fate is a wonderful thing, though, because what if the answer has been staring them in the face the whole time?

Making a near-seamless jump up from youth to senior level over the summer, Collyer has consolidated lofty progression and trust shown in him by Erik ten Hag over the last year with his hard-hitting breakthrough.

United’s transition-heavy style needs a destroyer in the middle who has the legs to close the gaps, but also the game intelligence to weave ruthless aggression with neat, intricate movements.

Collyer’s profile is a perfect match for the former, while his potential suggests he can also crack the latter if given a chance this season.

His ability to cover ground and win back the ball is not only perfect for United’s style of play, but might also alleviate the pressure on an ageing Casemiro, who can instead focus on knitting together plays with his catalogue of passes.

It’s a long season and he’ll need time to progress, but the early signs are positive and suggest United can rely on Collyer to solve a costly problem in-house, with it shaping up to be a huge campaign for the 20-year-old.