Man Utd could lose four midfielders in one summer and a huge rebuild in the centre of the pitch is on the cards for Ruben Amorim.
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes could both leave Old Trafford in the summer of 2026
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Manchester United could face the prospect of rebuilding their entire midfield next season - but they are in no rush to accelerate those plans by making a move in January.
Bruno Fernandes’ comments in Portugal have poured fuel on the fire when it comes to his future, after claiming the club lacked the courage to tell him to leave last summer, and he is set to review it after the World Cup in 2026. Fernandes remains a target for clubs in Saudi Arabia and strongly considered a mega-money move to Al-Hilal at the start of last summer.
United would be unlikely to attract the kind of fee on offer for Fernandes in the summer of 2025, but if the Portugal midfielder felt it was time to move on, a deal should be easy enough to strike. That could throw United’s plans into chaos, with the captain currently contracted until the end of the 2026/2027 season.
It would at least boost United’s budget, as would the departure of Casemiro on a free transfer. A contract extension hasn’t been ruled out, but the 33-year-old is one of the club’s highest earners, and his exit would be a significant saving on the wage bill.
The futures of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte are also in doubt. Mainoo is wanted on loan by a number of clubs in January, with Napoli at the head of the queue, although United won’t sanction a permanent exit. If Amorim is still in charge this summer and Mainoo’s prospects of playing time haven’t improved, it could create a pinch point.
Ugarte has slipped further below Mainoo in the pecking order and has failed to get off the bench in three of the club’s last eight games, managing only 40 minutes across that period. Amorim looks to have lost faith in a player he worked with at Sporting and Ugarte has rarely done enough to suggest he has a long-term future at Old Trafford. United could cut their losses on a player signed from Paris St-Germain for £xxm in the summer of 2024.
All of that will present a headache to United’s football executive, particularly director of football Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, who were already planning an overhaul of the midfield next year.
Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson, Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Crystal Palace man Adam Wharton are all under consideration as elite-level additions, but United will need more than one new signing. They have also been linked with the Bournemouth duo of Tyler Adams and Alex Scott in recent days.
Ruben Neves of Al-Hilal has been linked with a shock move
Ruben Neves of Al-Hilal has been linked with a shock move
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A potential departure for Mainoo in January might force United to consider their options, but as it stands, they aren’t expecting to be busy next month. Club sources stress they would only commit to a deal if it was a player they have a long-standing interest in, rather than rushing into a panic move.
Their desire to rebuild in midfield is well known and United will be offered plenty of players, such as Ruben Neves, whose camp are looking at a potential exit from Al-Hilal next month, although any deal is considered very unlikely.
For now, United’s focus remains on the summer of 2026 and what could be a defining few months for their midfield.