Man Utd are planning to overhaul their midfield this summer and one big-name signing is likely to arrive at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have completed 11 permanent first-team signings since Ineos took charge of football operations just over two years ago, and the direction of travel isn’t difficult to see.
First under Dan Ashworth and now Jason Wilcox, United have turned their focus on transfers towards youth, with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell playing a key role in the process as well.
Of those 11 signings since the summer of 2024, all of them have been 26 or under, seven were 23 or younger and the average of them all is just over 22. Financial rules have forced clubs to look at resale value in the transfer market and the trend is towards youth, something United have been willing to embrace.
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Last summer was a good example of the approach now. United spent around £130million on 26-year-old Matheus Cunha and 25-year-old Bryan Mbeumo, two players with Premier League experience who are about to enter their peak years. Then they spent around £100million on 23-year-old Senne Lammens and 22-year-old Benjamin Sesko.
Lammens and Sesko are two Premier League imports who can afford a year or so getting up to speed with English football and have plenty of time on their side. That they have both hit the ground running this season is encouraging.
It is expected that this strategy will continue at Old Trafford and the vast majority of targets they are looking at fit the bill when it comes to the age profile. Of the major midfield targets, Elliot Anderson (23), Adam Wharton (22) and Carlos Baleba (22) all have their best years of them. Sandro Tonali is 25 and is in a similar position to Mbeumo and Cunha, in that he could come in and make an immediate impact.
The outlier here is Tonali’s Newcastle teammate Bruno Guimaraes. United have shown interest in Italy international Tonali, who could push for a move this summer, but have also since been linked with Guimaraes. Newcastle will be desperate to hold on to their captain, and he has rejected the chance to force a move out in previous windows.
Guimaraes has proved himself to be an outstanding Premier League midfielder and he might be the most complete option available to United, but he is also someone already in his prime years. The Brazil international will turn 29 in November, and the days when players in their 20s and early 30s make big-money moves seem to have passed.
The last time United paid a fee for someone of that age was the £70million they paid Real Madrid for a 30-year-old Casemiro in August 2022. He has been an excellent servant to the club, but has cost more than £140million in wages and fees, and was highlighted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe as an example of poor recruitment during due diligence ahead of his investment.
United have invested heavily in data since Ratcliffe’s February 2024 investment, and they have clearly shifted towards a recruitment model that focuses on youth and getting value for players who have their best years ahead of them.
Trying to sign Guimaraes would break that mould, but then there is an argument that for three years, he might push United closer to the ultimate aim of regaining the Premier League title.
That is the balance Ineos will be weighing up when it comes to major investment in the midfield this summer. Does the focus remain on building a squad for tomorrow, or is there a case to be made every now and again for going after a player who can deliver instantly, even if that might be more short-term?
The approach United take this summer might be instructive to their ambitions over the next couple of seasons.
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