Manchester United are closing in on their first summer signing as another transformative transfer window edges into view.
Cash was splashed effectively last summer as the Red Devils reinvented their forward line and strengthened between the posts. With Michael Carrick having now been appointed permanently, United can now focus squarely on bolstering his team ahead of next campaign.
The return of Champions League soccer and increased expectations mean the club must be efficient in their business, and they have made a positive start as they get near completing the £38 million ($51 million) signing of highly-rated Atalanta midfielder Éderson.
Acquiring the Brazilian is just the beginning for United, who must build a squad capable of juggling European and domestic duties next term.
Here are four names the Red Devils should turn to after Éderson.
Lewis Hall
An addition at left back appears likely for United. Tyrell Malacia’s exit, Patrick Dorgu’s redeployment and Luke Shaw’s injury record during congested periods mean Carrick needs another option in the role, and Premier League Young Player of the Season nominee Lewis Hall is the standout target.
The 21-year-old has blossomed since trading Chelsea for Newcastle United, three impressive campaigns with the Magpies having earned him masses of Premier League and Champions League experience. An attack-minded presence with the necessary tenacity out of possession, he’s one of the most promising fullbacks around.
Newcastle are bracing themselves for a summer exodus and Hall could be one of those on the move. A sizeable transfer fee would be required, potentially around £60 million ($80 million), but players with such glittering promise don’t come cheap—especially from fellow Premier League sides.
Adam Wharton
United knew at least two central midfielders were needed this summer. Éderson is the first addition, but an even greater transfer fee must be splashed on the second.
Casemiro’s departure and the continued underperformance of Manuel Ugarte leaves Carrick light in the engine room. Kobbie Mainoo is the club’s future, but options beyond him are uninspiring. Dropping Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount into the double pivot is not a viable solution.
Éderson shares destructive traits with Casemiro despite not being an out-and-out enforcer, allowing United to spend big on a technician to partner him and Mainoo. With Elliot Anderson increasingly expected to join Manchester City, Adam Wharton could be the perfect deep-lying playmaker to further enhance United’s attacking potential, the classy Englishman entering the summer off the back of Conference League success with Crystal Palace.
At 22, Wharton is a remarkably smooth operator, despite his age, and has already racked up nearly a century of appearances for Palace since arriving virtually unknown in early 2024. Unsurprisingly, a nine-digit sum might be needed to clinch the youngster’s signature, but it would be money wisely spent on one of the game’s most promising up-and-comers.
Bradley Barcola
One area of United’s squad without an orthodox option is left wing. Matheus Cunha has fulfilled the role under Carrick with some success, while Dorgu is another candidate for the position having impressed with a Gareth Bale-esque transformation in January right before his lengthy injury absence. But with matches coming thick and fast next season, United need a specialist.
Bradley Barcola is one of the names likely to dominate transfer headlines this summer as his future appears increasingly uncertain. Paris Saint-Germain’s fourth-choice forward could seek a new chapter in search of more minutes if he is pushed further down the depth chart in the event the European champions sign transfer target Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig.
If Barcola leaves, the Red Devils will have to fend off stiff competition from rivals Liverpool, who are also in for Diomande, but should do everything in their power to woo the France international. Barcola has produced 50 goal involvements across the past two seasons, frightening pace and balletic agility ensuring he’s unstoppable in full flight.
The only downside is his price tag, which could sit at around $134 million if PSG choose to sell.
Jean-Philippe Mateta
United are reportedly keen on signing another center forward, somebody capable of competing with Benjamin Šeško without causing friction as his deputy. Proven experience will be essential and that’s why Jean-Philippe Mateta is such an attractive proposition.
The Frenchman, whose stellar Palace form has seen him included in Didier Deschamps’s World Cup squad, has been a regular goal-getter in the Premier League for several campaigns, boasting the power, speed and clinical edge required to thrive in England.
The 28-year-old, who also scored the winning goal for Palace in the 2026 UEFA Conference League final, has hit 16 or more goals in each of the last three seasons, and might be willing to accept slightly more of a reserve role at a club the size of United.
With his Palace contract expiring next summer, he could be available for a cheaper price, too.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
Add us as a preferred source on Google
