Manchester United have already secured Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in what has been a busy summer at Old Trafford
Your support helps us to tell the story
Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Manchester United are in the midst of a crucial summer as Ruben Amorim finally re-shapes his squad and tries to transform his failing team into contenders at the top end of the table.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that Amorim initially rebuffed United’s approach following the sacking of Erik ten Hag, and perhaps he was wise to try and delay the move, because what followed was a disastrous campaign culminating in the 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
Now Amorim has had a full preseason to prepare his side and a summer transfer window to mould his squad before a season without European football, and he must take full advantage.
The release of the Premier League fixtures showed a difficult start for United, with games against Manchester City and Chelsea to come after their opening loss to Arsenal, and while the performance was encouraging against the Gunners, the manager’s future could be called into question early should his side struggle in the coming weeks.
United got some early business done with the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a £62.5m deal before completing a move for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, and though co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had made clear that the money pot is not deep, the club also signed a £70m deal for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.
Offloading high-wage players such as Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho is key to funding the rest of the window, with a lack of movement potentially leading to the club missing out on the next step: midfield and goalkeeper signings.
Here’s everything you need to know about Manchester United’s summer transfer plans.
Alejandro Garnacho’s future is unclearopen image in gallery
Alejandro Garnacho’s future is unclear (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
Areas to improve
Perhaps it is easier to try and identify some parts of the team that didn’t need improvement. Once Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo’s arrivals were secured, the top priority was to sign a proven goalscoring striker given the toils of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee up front. That has hopefully been remedied with the arrival of Sesko.
Next up, the club need to buy a midfielder, with Manuel Ugarte’s pre-season performances and disappointing cameo against Arsenal showing the need for a player who at the very least is more comfortable with the ball at his feet. While Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton are said to be the ‘dream’ targets, a deal for either is extremely unlikely at this late stage.
Finally, it appears to most fans and pundits that the club need goalkeeper to compete with (or outright replace) the error-prone Andre Onana, especially after his understudy Altay Bayindir once again committed a high-profile error in the loss to Arsenal. However, reports suggest that Amorim is happy with his current options.
Andre Onana has made several mistakes in goal this seasonopen image in gallery
Andre Onana has made several mistakes in goal this season (Getty Images)
Done deals
Ins: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford, £70m), Matheus Cunha (Wolves, £62.5m), Diego Leon (Cerro Porteno, undisclosed fee), Enzo Kana-Biyik (Le Havre, free transfer), Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig, £73.7m)
Retained: Tom Heaton (signed new one-year deal after expiry of old contract)
Outs: Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan), Enzo Kana-Biyik (Lausanne-Sport, loan), Daniel Gore (Rotherham, loan), Christian Eriksen (out of contract), Victor Lindelof (out of contract), Jonny Evans (out of contract)
Potential targets
Carlos Baleba, Brighton
Baleba featured for the Seagulls in their opening game of the season against Fulhamopen image in gallery
Baleba featured for the Seagulls in their opening game of the season against Fulham (Getty Images)
This potential deal originally came from nowhere, with The Athletic and others reporting that United had made contact with Brighton (via intermediaries) over a potential transfer for Cameroon midfielder Baleba.
Club-to-club talks soon followed, though United cooled their interest after learning Brighton would demand a fee similar to the £115m that Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo.
Though United have backed out of the deal for now, they could well re-ignite their interest as we approach the end of the window, with the club known to still be interested in midfield targets.
Lucien Agoume, Sevilla
Agoume (R) scored last week in Sevilla's opening game of the new La Liga seasonopen image in gallery
Agoume (R) scored last week in Sevilla's opening game of the new La Liga season (Getty Images)
Sevilla midfielder Agoume has emerged as an alternative midfield target for United in the days since the club withdrew from a move for Baleba, with the Frenchman’s release clause sitting at £35m.
Perhaps understandably, the main links to United are emerging from his home country and Spain, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he is unaware of the club opening any new talks for a midfielder yet.
Nevertheless, there are rumours that United could try and sign the 23-year-old as an alternative to Baleba, with potential to do a deal below his release clause.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG
PSG goalkeeper Donnarumma emerged as another surprising potential target for United, with the imminent arrival of Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier meaning the Italian will find himself lower down the pecking order in Paris.
Donnarumma remains one of the best ‘keepers in world football but sources have declared that United are happy with their goalkeeping options and are not necessarily even in the market for another ‘keeper, despite Bayindir’s high-profile blunder against Arsenal.
At present, Donnarumma is being most heavily linked to Manchester City, with the Italian potentially moving to the Etihad if Ederson secures a move to Turkish side Galatasaray.
Donnarumma has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 2025open image in gallery
Donnarumma has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 2025 (Getty Images)
Senne Lammens, Royal Antwerp
Antwerp goalkeeper Lammens originally emerged as a more realistic target for United, with reports claiming the club have tracked him for some time.
The 23-year-old is available for around £17m, and seems to be keen on a move, having called United “one of the best clubs” in an interview in July.
Again, despite fans’ concerns that Onana and Bayindir are not up to standards, there has been little movement for a ‘keeper this window, and on paper that looks set to remain the case. However, it could be worth keeping an eye out for a move for a goalkeeper later into the window, especially if any more high-profile mistakes end up costing the club against Fulham or Burnley.