Manchester United's Summer Midfield Overhaul Begins
Champions League football is back on the Old Trafford schedule next season. Now comes the hard part: building a squad worthy of it.
With qualification secured and three Premier League games still to play, Manchester United have already shifted their gaze to a summer window that promises to be brutal, busy and expensive. The message from inside the club is clear – the midfield is getting ripped up and reassembled.
Midfield surgery: Baleba leads a long shortlist
United have earmarked central midfield as the heart of their rebuild. Casemiro is going. Manuel Ugarte is expected to follow. Up to three new midfielders are planned, with around £150m ring-fenced for that department alone.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is the headline act. Multiple reports in England say United expect to complete an £80m deal for the 20-year-old, a player they tried and failed to land last summer. His minutes have been patchy on the south coast this season, but United’s interest has not cooled; if anything, it has hardened. Of the names under consideration to replace Casemiro, Baleba is viewed as the likeliest to walk through the door.
He is far from the only one on the list. Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest is described as a top target, though Manchester City are currently thought to be in the driving seat for his signature. Adam Wharton, Alex Scott, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ayoub Bouaddi, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Shea Charles and Tyler Adams all feature on a sprawling shortlist that underlines the scale of the overhaul.
There is also firm movement on Atalanta’s Ederson. Italian journalist Matteo Moretto has revealed that United have offered the Brazilian a contract, with a net salary of around €4.5m per season, outbidding Atletico Madrid’s proposal. United, he says, are the club “that have informed themselves the most” about the midfielder in recent weeks.
Assan Ouedraogo of RB Leipzig has also entered the frame, with United joining Liverpool and Newcastle in tracking the 19-year-old after an 18-appearance, three-goal season in Germany. From France, Lille’s Ayoub Bouaddi has emerged as the tenth midfielder recently linked, underlining how wide United are casting the net.
The message is unmistakable: the engine room that has creaked and cracked in recent years is about to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Casemiro calls time
At the centre of that change stands Casemiro, and he has already made his intentions public.
The Brazilian has told ESPN there is “no chance” he stays at United this summer. He described his spell as “four beautiful, wonderful years” and spoke of wanting to leave “on top” and on good terms with the club and fans.
His departure is both emotional and pragmatic. United want to refresh the midfield with younger legs and higher intensity. Casemiro wants a final chapter elsewhere. Both sides appear ready to move on.
That reality has sparked debate among former United greats about what comes next. Peter Schmeichel has urged the club to prioritise leadership around Kobbie Mainoo, even going as far as suggesting a move for Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka, citing his influence and authority. Paul Scholes dismissed the idea, arguing such a signing would simply repeat the Casemiro conundrum.
Gary Neville, meanwhile, has turned his attention to Mason Mount, suggesting United should consider cashing in if they can find a more versatile replacement who can operate across midfield and the forward line.
The old guard see a squad short on leaders and flexibility. The recruitment team see a chance to reset.
Premier League first: domestic focus hardens
United’s wider transfer strategy is also taking shape. The club intend to double down on a Premier League-first approach after what they regard as successful recent domestic additions.
Following the impact of players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the recruitment department will again prioritise those already adapted to English football. Morgan Rogers has emerged as a serious target, and the focus on the home market is especially strong at left-back and in midfield.
At Bournemouth alone, United scouts have drawn up a shopping list. Eli Junior Kroupi, the 19-year-old forward who has hit 12 goals in 30 Premier League games since arriving from Lorient, has caught the eye of United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. Bournemouth’s stance is blunt: he is not for sale this summer.
United are also monitoring Bournemouth’s Adrien Truffert at left-back, with Alex Scott, Marcus Tavernier and Tyler Adams also admired. The Cherries have become a regular stop on United’s scouting trail.
Left-back priority and defensive reshaping
Left-back is emerging as the second major priority behind midfield. United’s interest in options across Europe is intense and varied.
Adrien Truffert is one, but far from the only name. Alejandro Balde and David Raum are on the radar, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is viewed as a more developmental option. Sporting CP’s Maxi Araujo is another serious candidate, with United “weighing up” a move after his standout Champions League performances against Arsenal. He carries a £69m release clause, though reports suggest a fee between £35m and £43m could tempt Sporting.
Newcastle’s Lewis Hall is also admired, with director of football Jason Wilcox said to be a particular fan of his style. The pattern is clear: United want a modern, progressive left-back who can handle both high-tempo Premier League games and European nights.
In the background, academy product Harry Amass remains part of the picture. After a strong loan at Sheffield Wednesday and a frustrating, injury-hit spell at Norwich, the 19-year-old is expected to be needed at United at least until the end of pre-season, with several senior players set to be away at the World Cup. Norwich and Philippe Clement want him back on loan, but United’s immediate needs may delay any decision.
Rashford, Barcelona and the domino effect on Leao
Marcus Rashford’s future has become one of the defining threads of United’s summer.
On the pitch, he has just congratulated his parent club on qualifying for the Champions League, posting a message on X from Barcelona, where he has spent the season on loan and played in Europe’s top competition. Off the pitch, his situation is tangled in negotiations, options and deadlines.
Barcelona hold a £26m option to sign Rashford permanently. Early noise from Spain suggested they wanted to renegotiate that fee or extend his loan instead. United’s stance has been firm: pay the agreed price or walk away. Recent reports in Spain have even claimed Barcelona might look elsewhere, with Anthony Gordon floated as an alternative, prompting suggestions that United could be left with a big decision and a big earner back on their books.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich are both said to be monitoring Rashford’s situation closely. For now, though, everything hinges on Barcelona. Until his future is resolved, United are holding back on a move for AC Milan star Rafael Leao, who is expected to leave San Siro this summer and sits high on their list of left-wing targets.
One decision in Catalonia will shape the entire left side of United’s attack.
Bruno Fernandes: pay rise, not farewell
While Rashford’s future hangs in the balance, United are moving to shut down any doubt around their captain.
Bruno Fernandes has been regularly linked with an exit during United’s years outside the Champions League and their struggles for major trophies. With the club back among Europe’s elite, United now want to lock him in.
Reports suggest the club are working on a new contract to secure Fernandes for what they hope will be a Premier League title push within the next two years. Galatasaray, who see him as their “dream target” for the No.10 role, are expected to probe again after previous interest, but even they accept that United’s Champions League return has reduced their chances.
For United, Fernandes is not a saleable asset. He is the centrepiece of the rebuild.
Hojlund out, Zirkzee next, PSR problems avoided
Up front, the Rasmus Hojlund saga is drawing to a clean, financially convenient close.
Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has made it plain: “There are no doubts. Rasmus will stay here.” The Italian champions have confirmed they will trigger the £38m release clause in his loan deal, turning the Dane’s season in Naples into a permanent move.
Hojlund struggled to impose himself at United but has found a home in Serie A. From United’s perspective, the deal is neat. Napoli’s Champions League qualification activates the €44m buy option, and combined with the €6m loan fee, it means United avoid a loss under the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
Attention now turns to Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch forward, who joined United after an outstanding 2023/24 campaign at Bologna, has failed to replicate that form in Manchester. Napoli are again in the frame, this time for a loan. United are open to letting him go temporarily in the summer as they look to reshape their attack.
Behind them, the club continue to scan for emerging talent. United have enquired about Lyon winger Afonso Moreira, with the French club valuing the Portugal under-21 international at around £22m after a breakout season. They signed him from Sporting for under £2m just last summer and are in no rush to sell.
At Auxerre, Lassine Sinayoko has also attracted interest. United were previously reported to have held talks over a pre-contract agreement with the Mali international, who has nine Ligue 1 goals and three more from Mali’s AFCON run to the quarter-finals. Crystal Palace have now joined the chase as they plan for life after Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Kane, Leao and the big names on the periphery
Harry Kane’s name refuses to leave the United conversation, but the reality is more stubborn than the rumour mill.
United still admire the England captain, now at Bayern Munich and one game away from a Champions League final. He is settled in Germany, and a Premier League return this summer is described as highly unlikely. For all the noise, this one looks more like a long-term fantasy than a short-term plan.
Rafael Leao, though, is a live option. With United prioritising a left winger and Leao poised to leave Milan, the fit is obvious. Yet his signing is tethered to Rashford’s fate. Until Barcelona decide, Leao remains a name on a list rather than a deal in motion.
Elsewhere, United have seen a bold move rebuffed. Reports in Spain claim Barcelona have rejected a £103.6m bid from Old Trafford for midfielder Fermin Lopez and have no intention of selling him, despite United viewing the 21-year-old as a potential long-term successor to Fernandes.
Youth, World Cup worries and the long summer ahead
Away from transfers, the World Cup looms over United’s planning. Peter Schmeichel has openly said he hopes Kobbie Mainoo does not go, recalling how Luke Shaw returned from Euro 2020 exhausted after playing only in the latter stages and then missed six months of club football. “I don’t want Man United players to be in that squad. I want them to have a break,” he said, speaking as much like a protective supporter as a former player.
On the pitch, United’s qualification for the Champions League has already changed the mood. Rashford’s message from Barcelona underlined that he is watching closely. Inside the club, there is a belief that, with the right additions, Fernandes can lead a side capable of mounting a serious domestic challenge within two years.
Around all of this swirl the daily denials and corrections that mark every transfer window. Reports in Brazil that United had agreed with the national team to rest Matheus Cunha for the final three league games to protect him for the World Cup have been dismissed by club sources, and the player himself laughed it off on social media with a simple “what?” and a laughing emoji.
The noise will only grow from here. Targets will change, prices will rise, and some deals will collapse under the weight of their own complexity. What will not change is the scale of the task.
United want three midfielders. They want a left-back. They want clarity on Rashford and a decision on Leao. They want leadership, flexibility and, at last, a squad that looks built for the modern game.
They have Champions League football in their pocket and a summer window stretching out in front of them. Now comes the question that will define the next two years at Old Trafford: can they finally turn ambition into a team that plays like it belongs back at the top?
