Manchester United look to already be making moves in the transfer market ahead of the summer starting
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 0-7 during the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Newcastle United at Bramall Lane on September 24, 2023 in Sheffield, England.
Bruno Guimaraes is reportedly planning a move to Manchester(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Manchester United are reportedly in advanced talks with Bruno Guimaraes for a summer move away from Newcastle. However, the Brazil international could just be a guise for the Red Devils to swoop for Adam Wharton instead.
Reuters report that a fee of £69million has been discussed with United facing competition from long-time admirers Real Madrid.
With the Magpies being dumped out of the Champions League by Barcelona and sitting seven points away from Europe next season, Guimaraes could be tempted away with the promise of fighting for trophies.
However, United have been linked with a number of other midfielders ahead of a summer rebuild. Casemiro has confirmed his exit from Old Trafford at the season's end, meaning the middle of the park is a major priority.
One such target is Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton who has also attracted interest from Liverpool. The English midfielder has been a revelation for the Eagles since he signed from Blackburn Rovers in 2024, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Impressive performances alongside Daichi Kamada and Tyrick Mitchell have caught the eye of both United and close rivals Liverpool. However, Arne Slot's side may see United's interest in Guimaraes as a reason to cool off interest in Wharton for now, allowing United to swoop in.
Liverpool failed to secure a transfer deal with Palace last summer when they tried to tempt Marc Guehi away from the club. The deadline day move fell through in the final hours and Manchester City were primed to sneak in in January and steal the deal.
Guehi joined Pep Guardiola's side for an initial fee of £20m, potentially rising to £30m with add-ons. And now United could look to use a similarly sneaky move by using rumours around Guimaraes as a smokescreen to snatch Wharton.
Michael Carrick's side have another advantage over their Premier League rivals - a longstanding transfer relationship. Wilfried Zaha moved to Old Trafford in 2013 after impressing in south London - before eventually returning to Palace in 2015.
Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace at training session prior their UEFA Conference League 2025/26 round of 16 second leg match at AEK Arena on March 18, 2026 in Larnaca, Cyprus
Adam Wharton has been a target of United's for some time(Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
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United also sold top-rated goalkeeper Dean Henderson to Palace in 2023 in a deal reported to be worth £15m. The academy graduate became a stellar acquisition for the south London outfit, eventually taking over the captain's armband from Guehi after he departed for City in January.
These previous transfer dealings could be another notch in United's key to getting a deal done with Wharton in the summer.
It wouldn't be a major surprise to see United hide in the shadows and use their strong Palace relationship to their advantage.
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