Latest Man Utd Transfer News: Lewandovski, Anderson, Camavinga and more amid interest from PL Rivals
With some of the strategies and moves close to falling into place, this should allow Manchester United more flexibility moving forward in the transfer market and could a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-esque signing happen this summer?
Things at the club are showing some progress under INEOS and the steadying hand of Director of Football Jason Wilcox.
It is fair to say the team and the season was looking more than uncertain when Ruben Amorim was fired following his rant about the Old Trafford hierarchy in early January. The Portuguese manager was seemingly well aware that such a rant would lead to his dismissal. As we now know Michael Carrick was appointed until the end of the season and has lead the club to 10 wins, 3 losses and a draw since taking over, securing Champions League football and leading the Premier League points table over that period.
Some big decisions are coming up this summer with key moves in the transfer market already becoming close to completion with a number of departures paving the way for more options in the summer market.
Who is leaving Old Trafford permanently?
With Danish international Rasmus Hojlund on the cusp of helping Napoli secure CL football for next season this 99.9% activates the Serie A club’s obligation to buy clause meaning United will bank the reported fee of £38m for the young Danish striker.
United are hoping Barca are able to afford to make the Marcus Rashford loan deal permanent which would net them another £26m if the deal is honoured. Naturally the cash-trapped Catalan giants are trying to negotiate another loan deal with the idea to get a cheaper option to buy in 2027. United may just settle for selling Rashford to a Premier League rival as a last resort it they are set on realising the funds from his departure this summer.
United will also be shedding high paying contracts as the incredibly disappointing Jaden Sancho era at Old Trafford ends and the ultimately successful Casemiro spell in Red ends with the midfielder leaving the club this summer despite a club option for another season. This should free up around £32million a year in wages between the two players.
A return to the Champions League signals more money coming in both from the games and commercially plus a 3rd place PL finish won’t hurt the United budget either.
Who should United be spending their budget on?
This £100m+ would go a big way towards securing one of the central midfielders they covet like Forest’s Elliot Anderson or Palace’s Adam Wharton or Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Who United will be able to sign remains uncertain given they are unlikely to beat out rivals Man City in a bidding war for Anderson if the fee approaches £120million. The Nottingham Forest man has been a shining light for the club and his ability and temperament can be trusted as his England selection shows.
Wharton and Baleba do seem like they rank behind the Forest man in United’s wish list and whether the likes of Real Madrid midfielder and previously Arsenal linked Eduardo Camavinga is a candidate remains to be seen. The Los Blancos man would add a winning mentality to the group as he is a proven winner with multiple La Liga and Champions League winning medals amongst others to his name but would the Frenchman fancy United as a destination? This option has not been widely reported on but the player has been linked with leaving the Spanish capital this summer.
The club are linked with adding two midfielders but with the re-emergence of Kobbie Mainoo maybe one player would be enough if Manuel Ugarte who has underwhelmed to say the least in a United shirt could do what he was bought to do. This seems unlikely given Michael Carrick’s reluctance to play him thus far.
A possible attacking target possibly coming out of left field would be adding the experience and almost certain 20+ goals a season by signing Barca’s soon to be free agent Polish hitman Robert Lewardovski. This signing would take the pressure off Benjamin Sesko, add vital goals to the club and provide invaluable experience in the Champions League for the club.
The signing of Lewandovski would be similar to the memorable signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic which was a huge success even if sadly dampened by the Swedish legends injury marred exit. The signing of Edinson Cavani comes to mind too who was a success in Manchester despite his age and injuries. You could see Arsenal or Chelsea making a move for Lewandovski too given his free agent status and the goals he is virtually nailed on to provide and the striker will undoubtedly attract numerous other suitors from around the world.
A key decision looms for United this summer
With the right decisions this summer United could make more progress but the most important call remains who will manage the club next season. Some are referring to how the club is performing in a similar fashion to how they did for Ole Gunnar Solksjaer under whom Michael Carrick served as an assistant coach.
Can Carrick take the team forward on the field or should the Red-Devils be looking at Julian Nagelsmann or Mauricio Pochettino who like other World Cup managers won’t be open to joining the club until after the tournament concludes?
It is widely understood that United want their manager in place for the start of the summer and crucially the transfer window so they are not buying players the new boss may not fancy. Repeating the mistakes of appointing managers like Eric ten-Hag and Ruben Amorim to coach players not suited to their tactics is imperative this time around.
No matter it is will be a big summer at Old Trafford and we will watch with interest.
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