Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada
Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada
Everyone associated with Manchester United this summer is aware of the need to do good business in the off-season.
The 2024/25 campaign was an unmitigated disaster for the Reds as they struggled desperately in the Premier League, were knocked out of the FA and Carabao Cups early and were unable to consolidate their season in the Europa League following defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the final. Alejandro Garnacho may have ruined his United career post-match but his assessment of the campaign wasn't far off being accurate.
The only way that United can alter their fortunes in the 2025/26 season is to entirely overhaul their squad. This means spending big and selling for good money too.
Already, United have managed to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers' versatile forward Matheus Cunha but there will be a demand for the club to step up their business now that the summer transfer window has reopened. In an interview with United We Stand fanzine on Tuesday, Berrada hinted at when three more deals could be completed.
"He [Matheus Cunha] was an important one to get done," the United CEO explained. "We’re going to do our best to do more signings quickly.
"Sometimes when you’re not quick, it’s because you’re negotiating and you’re trying to make sure you get the right value for money. So being efficient or quick isn’t necessarily the best thing for the club."
These comments point towards a potentially longer timeframe than was expected for three new deals to be completed. The first, would be the arrival of Bryan Mbeumo who MEN Sport understands is still keen on moving to Old Trafford despite Thomas Frank moving to Tottenham and sparking interest in his services there.
Should this move be completed, the next port of call would be sales as United need to offload players to sign further new additions. Exactly who would leave first remains to be seen but Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are all on the list to be sold.
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt (Image: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Once one of those deals is done, the next step will be to sign a centre-forward but that is a whole other minefield. Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli's Victor Osimhen are all being consistently linked with the club after the Reds missed out on Liam Delap earlier this month.
These are the next three deals that United are likely to make but Berrada's comments suggest that they are not likely to be done quickly. Instead, Ineos are hoping to strike the right deals after careful consideration.
A noble quest it may be but United will still need to act quick to secure their top targets. Not everything can be done patiently.
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