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27 May 2026 16:25:42
Ederson is looking pretty nailed on at the moment, we've been linked with him for a couple years now, so we have clearly rated him for a long time. I wouldn't have him as first choice, possibly not even in top 5, but I would expect there will be more glamorous signings later in the window. Given we are obviously looking to sign at least two midfielders, probably 3 if Ugarte leaves, it would be almost impossible to sign three top names in that position.
Personally, I would be ecstatic with Anderson, Fernandes, and Tchouameni, but that would probably cost £230-240 million, and would therefore severely limit our ability to improve several other areas this summer. Not to mention, that might actually disrupt the harmony within the squad, which seems really strong at the moment, since they would all expect to start most matches.
There are probably several among us that are not that excited with Ederson, given we have been linked with players like Anderson and Tonali all season, but I would be very content with Ederson, Fernandes, and Baleba for around £150-160 million, leaving enough cash for signings at left back, left wing, and hopefully either centre back, centre forward, or both.
I also think it makes sense to make at least one signing midfield as early as possible, since it leaves us in a stronger position to negotiate for other targets later in the window, which could easily save us paying an extra £10-20 million across various deals.
25 May 2026 22:25:00
I'm with Shappy and Angel on this. Dalot is solid, and a top professional. Centre midfield is the top priority. We have to sign two top players in the engine room this summer before we really even consider other positions. Beyond that, I would make a left forward my next priority, followed by another central midfielder and a left back, probably equal priority. Personally, I consider Dalot better than Shaw, and Dalot certainly has a far better fitness record, so getting a left back that can compete with Shaw next season, and hopefully usurp Shaw, comes way before getting a right back.
I would also make both centre forward and centre back a greater priority than right back, since we don't have a genuine centre forward other than Sesko, and we haven't had a consistent centre back pairing since Lindelof and Maguire several years ago. At the moment, we are constantly changing our centre back pairing, and even with every option available, we are miles behind Arsenal in this area. We have barely seen De Ligt and Martinez play together with the injuries they have had in the last two seasons. Maguire doesn't allow us to press very effectively since he is so lacking in pace, and Yoro and Heaven are not yet ready to be starting on a regular basis.
We can probably afford to sign 5-6 players this summer, given we have finished 12 places higher in the league this season, which means we will be getting about another £60 million in prize money from the Premier League, and we will be Champions League football next season, which is obviously lucrative. Along with a few sales, that could mean we have as much as £300 million to spend this, but it has to be spent right. Two centre midfielders first, then left forward, then another centre midfielder to replace Ugarte, then a left back, and finally, potentially a centre back or centre forward.
We can then look at either centre back or centre forward (or both) the following summer, depending on whether we make any signings in those areas this summer, along with moving on Mazraoui and bringing in a right back to compete with and potentially usurp Dalot. Next summer it might be also time to think about who might replace Bruno Fernandes, since it doesn't feel like Mason Mount will be that player.
05 Apr 2026 15:10:35
That can only happen if they are all playing at Chelsea next season. It would cost as much as £250 million to sign all 3. Even for United, it would cost around £200 million, and blowing that amount on 2 new forward players, after signing 3 last summer, would be monumentally daft.
Palmer would be the most expensive, and Chelsea could certainly afford Rashford and Palmer, especially if Enzo leaves.
They are also lacking in forward areas, primarily left wing, but also the number 10 role when Palmer plays on the right wing.
If Chelsea are keen on Rashford, they are welcome to have him for £50 million. It would be a shame to see Rogers move there though.
15 Mar 2026 18:52:08
Guimaraes is a fantastic midfielder, but he's already 28, and he will be hugely expensive. I can't imagine we will be willing to spend that much on a player that age.
Tonali and Anderson are also both top class. Again, they will both be very expensive, but Anderson is 3 years younger, so that might actually be a factor. Tonali might strengthen a position for 5-6 years, whereas Anderson might strengthen it for 8-10 years.
Baleba is another option, clearly a talented player, and he might be available for a more reasonable fee this summer. He's also very young at 22, so again he could be an important player for as much as 10 years. Adam Wharton is pretty regularly discussed, and probably better than Baleba, but I'm not convinced he's good enough physically to play alongside Kobbie.
Given we will almost certainly sign two midfielders this summer with Casemiro leaving, I think both new players will have to be comfortable playing with Mainoo in a midfield two behind Bruno, and comfortable playing together.
Otherwise, we are only ever one injury away from having a fairly weak midfield and potentially starting Ugarte, who doesn't look good enough at the moment, or likely to become good enough any time soon.
There's also Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart, Pablo Barrios from Atletico, and Bergvall from Spurs that we've either been linked with recently or at some point in the past. Goretzka and Ruben Neves will also be available on free transfers. Overall, I think there are far too many good options that are either much younger or much less expensive than Guimaraes to justify spending potentially £80 million on someone that turns 29 later this year.
01 Feb 2026 01:16:09
Dalot is far from an average player. He's generally solid defensively, especially when playing as a conventional right back in a back 4. Obviously he's not world class but he's a solid player for us that hugely cares about the club, is clearly popular among the squad, always gives his absolute best, rarely gets injured, and has never criticized the the club, the manager, the coaches, or other players or caused any controversy.
He's a decent player, proper club man, and top professional, and given how many players we have had in the last few years who have hardly given a toss he should absolutely be kept around.
We are also far weaker at left back than right back anyway, since Shaw has hardly ever been able to stay fit for more than about 3-6 months at a time before spending months out injured, and has lost his explosive pace that he had a few years ago, and Dorgu, whilst exceptional in the last couple games in which he has played further forward, is quite shaky defensively, and those are the only two first team left backs we have.
With that in mind we should be signing a left back this summer to compete with Shaw, and keeping both Dalot and Mazraoui for right back. In a couple years it will be time for Shaw and Mazraoui to move on, and we can hopefully sign a right back to replace Mazraoui that can be first choice, with Dalot staying as a decent squad player, and a left back to replace Shaw, as an option to rotate with whichever left back we sign this summer.
29 Jan 2026 06:10:40
Shappy, I agree that it would be foolish to spend a fortune on Palmer at the moment for the reason that we have several creative left footed players that are comfortable on the right.
But I'm not sure about Cunha being a replacement for Bruno. Cunha is a fantastic talent, comfortable across the front 3 and in the number 10, but I don't think he will hold the number 10 role when Bruno leaves.
Bruno gives the ball away more than most in that role in recent years, certainly compared to De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Odegaard for example, but Cunha is even more risky in possession than Bruno, and I suspect we might look to replace Bruno with someone slightly more adept at retaining the ball.
In an ideal world, I would consider a perfect United number 10 to be able to break lines with their ball carrying ability and their passing range, provide goals both with late runs into the box and shooting from distance, retain possession and complement the double pivot in controlling the tempo, and still provide a significant threat on the counter attack.
And that basically describes De Bruyne, but I don't know if there are many current players that fit that profile as close as Palmer currently does. I really like Morgan Rogers, but I'm not sure he has the composure to drop a bit deeper and control games. Maybe Kobbie Mainoo will develop into someone that nearly fits that mold, and we will play a more conventional 4-3-3 with a single number 6 and two number 8s, with Cunha starting when we play with a genuine number 10.
I wouldn't be surprised if United aren't even thinking about Palmer this summer, given the cash it will cost to sort the central midfield. But perhaps the following year we might look at Palmer, and given his injury issues this season, it would be sensible to wait to see if he can put that behind him.
18 Jun 2026 07:16:02
At this point, the Glazers have cost United about £900 million in interest payments on their debt, since they placed the club in debt in 2005. It equates to £45 million per year, although it had been much higher around 2010, and much lower in recent years. That's essentially an extra big-name signing per summer for the last 20 years, or, alternatively, a damn good start on building a new stadium.
We have, however, just refinanced the old $425 million in bonds with shiny new $550 million in bonds at a higher rate. Combined with the variable interest rates on our other loans and revolving credit facility, we will comfortably be paying a further £35-45 million every year in interest for the foreseeable future.
Obviously, I understand this is far from disastrous, having earned much greater Premier League prize money in the 25/26 season versus the 24/25 season, and the significant extra revenue from Champions League football next season, not to mention an enormous deal with Amazon.
But, this is not a debt that has ever been in any way helpful for the club, in the way that borrowing large sums in the short term can be beneficial for long-term growth for ordinary businesses. It has been nothing but a burden that has hampered this football club for two decades now, and the Glazers deserve to walk away with nothing.
We won't be paying off the bonds any time soon, since they are secured at a fixed rate for the next 5 years, so the interest on that will cost us at least $29 million per year. But, hopefully, even with making some significant moves in the transfer market this summer, all this extra revenue will allow the club to reduce the principal on our other loans and our revolving credit facility.
Perhaps one day the leeches will sell up and pay off the bonds themselves, since the bonds are solely their own debt, but I won't be holding my breath.
18 Jun 2026 06:48:05
Redman, you're absolutely right that he is a far better player than Malacia. But Malacia had a torrid time with injuries after looking reasonably decent in his first season. Plus, at the point we signed Malacia, Carreras wasn't nearly ready for first-team minutes. Probably he should've been given a chance rather than sold to Benfica for peanuts, though.
04 Jun 2026 05:59:16
Also, it might be real life, but when United potentially have £300 million to spend in one window, being Sporting Director at United this summer, and potentially next summer, might feel somewhat like playing FIFA.
Personally, I would go for Elliot Anderson, Matheus Fernandes, and Ederson for midfield. That would probably cost around £180-200 million. Obviously, Anderson looks more likely to join City at the moment, so if we can't sign Anderson, I would be happy with Tchouameni or Carlos Baleba instead. And if for any reason we can't sign Fernandes, I would be happy with Tonali or Lamine Camara from Monaco.
Left back would be next priority, and Lewis Hall and Nathaniel Brown from Frankfurt would be my top two picks in that order. Hall would probably cost £60 million, and Brown probably £30-40 million.
Left wing would perhaps be a luxury, but could make a massive difference in chance creation and help balance the team. Bradley Barcola and Iliman Ndiaye would be my top two picks in that order, though Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig would be fantastic if available for a somewhat reasonable price, though he looks more likely to join Liverpool.
We could also do with fresh faces at centre back and centre forward, though this will depend on whether we prioritise these positions over left wing. Goncalo Ramos on loan for a season could be an astute option, and Nico Schlotterbeck would be my first choice at centre back, though he has signed a new deal at Dortmund.
Ideal window:
Elliot Anderson - £80-100 million
Matheus Fernandes - £60 million
Ederson - £30-40 million
Lewis Hall - £60 million
Iliman Ndiaye - £60 million
More realistic might look like:
Matheus Fernandes - £60 million
Carlos Baleba - £60 million
Ederson - £30-40 million
Iliman Ndiaye - £60 million
Nathaniel Brown - £30-40 million
Nico Schlotterbeck - £50 million
Likewise, I think there will at least 1 or 2 surprises, and I certainly don't expect we will sign Anderson or Schlotterbeck, and Barcola would shock me somewhat too. But it is certainly fun to ignore reality for a while.
04 Jun 2026 05:29:44
I can't see Lewandowski happening simply because his wages will be enormous. Though perhaps he would be happy to accept more reasonable wages for a crack at the Premier League (and Champions League) at arguably the biggest club in the country. It would be pretty cool to have played for Bayern, Barcelona, and United.
We should've signed Lewandowski in 2013 though, before he joined Bayern on a free transfer in 2014. At that point, though, we had Van Persie and Rooney, and we were looking to strengthen the midfield more than sign a new forward.
03 Jun 2026 07:12:31
I really like Rogers and I think he is a fantastic player, but unfortunately there are several greater priorities than spending over £80 million on a number 10. Obviously, he can also play on either wing, and I think we are probably looking to strengthen on the left, but I don't think we will be spending enough on that position to get Rogers.
Barcola would probably be the best option available, but would also be too expensive, so I suspect we might be looking at Leao, Ndiaye, Schade, or perhaps Antonio Nusa from Leipzig.
We might consider Morgan Rogers for the left wing position, but he is probably too similar to Cunha, in that he is more comfortable drifting in more centrally rather than staying as wide as possible and offering genuine width.
It would be a bit daft to sign someone so similar to Cunha rather than someone that offers something different.
Next summer, it might be a different story. If Villa manage to keep Rogers this summer, and Bruno decides to leave in 2027, then Rogers would be a fantastic option for a replacement. Any 3 from Cunha, Rogers, Mbeumo, Amad, and perhaps Ndiaye behind Sesko would be pretty exciting.