The season is over, the World Cup is nearly upon us, and although the transfer window isn’t officially open yet, clubs are cranking into gear when it comes to doing business over the next few months.
Manchester United effectively have their first signing in the bag, having agreed an initial £35million fee with Atalanta to sign Ederson, with a further £3.8million in add-ons.
That is the first piece in the jigsaw in midfield and more will follow, while United also want to strengthen in other areas and there will be departures to come as well.
We run weekly question and answer sessions, so click here to submit your questions, and we’ll answer them next week. Here are the answers to some of this week’s questions:
Is there any development on Elliot Anderson? I’d rather we went for Morgan Rogers.
No development from a United point of view. Manchester City reportedly had a bid rejected earlier this week and it is still City who lead the chase. The Etihad remains Anderson’s preference.
If the sums don’t work for City then United could certainly come back into the frame. They have shown a willingness to outbid their neighbours before, although whether that would happen under this regime isn’t as clear-cut.
I’d say Anderson and Rogers fall into very different categories. One is seen as a No.6, the ideal Casemiro replacement and the tone-setter in midfield. The other is an attacking midfielder who could play on the left and eventually take over from Bruno Fernandes as the No.10.
I don’t think it’s a case of either/or this summer, but obviously, it would be difficult to sign both given the figures involved. The problem with Rogers will be that the competition is even more fierce than for Anderson, but he is a player that United like.
What does the future hold for Rashford? We still need him.
As things stand, it’s very difficult to see how Rashford has any future at Old Trafford. He doesn’t fit the squad culture that is being built and he doesn’t fit the wage structure, either.
Barcelona have until June 15 to activate that £26million option but it’s already clear they won’t be doing that. That’s when it gets tricky for United. Barcelona would take Rashford back, but on their terms, and those terms might not be as acceptable to United.
The question is whether another loan would be considered, and I imagine that would only happen if Barcelona cover almost all of Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wages. Another possible scenario is interest emerging from elsewhere, such as Bayern Munich or Arsenal, if he has a good World Cup. Both those clubs want a left-winger.
United are in the market for one of those, as well, but Rashford won’t be the answer. The decision to remove him from the first-team squad and try and move him on was a club-led call, not one forced by Amorim.
Let’s sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle. My dream signing for the season.
Think a lot of people would like to see Tonali at Old Trafford next season. It’s been a little quiet on his future but it’s not one to entirely rule out just yet. As with Anderson and Aurelien Tchouameni, I think the elite-level market will take time to develop.
Tonali clearly wants out of Newcastle and his only route to that is at a Premier League rival. If City sign Anderson, that rules them out. The Italian’s agent made admiring glances towards Arsenal in January, and it might be that the Emirates or Old Trafford becomes his likeliest destination.
Having sold Anthony Gordon, Newcastle are in a strong position financially now. It might need Tonali to force the issue to get his move.
Does Carrick have full authority to sign anyone he wants?
No, is the short answer. United have moved away from an era in which an all-powerful manager dictated transfer strategy and picked the players he wanted.
Carrick has input into recruitment and can offer opinions and ideas of who might be a good fit, but he doesn’t have the final say. It is a collaborative approach in the recruitment department now, which is the way it works at every big club.
Shouldn’t we be concerned about adding a proven striker?
United would like to address this in the summer, and in an ideal world, Joshua Zirkzee would be sold with a more experienced striker replacing him.
When you say ‘proven,’ the market the club will focus on is an older head who can be Benjamin Sesko’s backup, providing rotation and competition. Someone like Danny Welbeck could be a good fit.
What they won’t be doing is dropping big money on another big-name striker. There is faith in Sesko’s ability to lead the line for a long time to come and his first season was promising.
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