Manchester United may be able to complete a swoop for a £60 million duo for free in the summer following transfer talks in January.
Rúben Amorim’s vision for Manchester United is beginning to take shape as the 39-year-old aims to build a squad capable of competing for Premier League titles.
Weeks of training, along with five matches in domestic and Europa League competitions, have allowed the players to adapt to Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, while he continues to assess their strengths and identify areas for improvement.
Read More: Ruben Amorim will drop £42m star for ‘best player’ in strongest Man United team
United are also mapping out their 2025 transfer strategy, prioritising summer recruitment due to a limited budget for January.
While Amorim has a significant influence on setting the team’s priorities, recruitment is now being overseen by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and technical director Jason Wilcox following the dismissal of sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Man United’s double swoop
There have been many reports circulating of late that United may be interested in bringing back former Academy star Angel Gomes following his brilliant rise to prominence at LOSC Lille.
According to claims last month, Amorim is a big fan of the 24-year-old and has given the “green light” to seal his return. Gomes is out of contract in June 2025, meaning United would be able to secure him for free.
Further, the above report claims Gomes would favour a return to United over any other destination despite the interest of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle.
Further, news broke over the weekend that the club also engaged in talks for a second Lille star in the form of Canadian striker Jonathan David, who scored a brilliant 17 goals across 23 appearances this season.
David, who is also out of contract in the summer, is keen on a move to England this summer, and is also on the list of London club Arsenal.
£60m swoop for free
With both aforementioned stars seeing their current contracts expire, United could swoop up both players without having to pay any transfer fee, thanks to the 1995 Bosman Ruling.
Gomes and David have a combined value of around £60 million, and are both keen on moving to Premier League sides.
However, with a free transfer often comes cost attachments, with players’ agents often demanding high wages packages, signing bonuses, and larger commissions due to the absence of a transfer fee.
With United looking to cut costs and reduce spending on players’ wages, this may become a sticking point in negotiations – but as of 1 January 2025, both players will be free to talk to other clubs and sign pre-contract agreements.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.