Mirror Football looks at how Manchester United’s midfield will line up next season after an exciting summer rebuild
Casemiro leaves Manchester United this summer (Image: PA)
Manchester United’s announcement that Casemiro will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season is a clear sign that the club are planning for the summer transfer window. It was revealed this week that the 33-year-old Brazilian veteran will leave the club this summer when his contract expires after four seasons.
United have decided not to extend the huge £350,000-a-week contract the five-time Champions League winner signed in August 2022 under Erik ten Hag. Casemiro has scored 21 goals in 146 appearances for United, meaning Michael Carrick’s eventual successor as manager will be without an experienced voice in the dressing room.
However, given the space freed up in United’s wages, his departure would be an opportunity for a much-needed midfield rebuild. Even before Casemiro’s announcement, it was reported that United bosses were targeting a midfield signing this summer.
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In the center of midfield, there are two candidates to replace Casemiro: 21-year-old Wharton and 22-year-old Baleva. Brighton’s Baleva was a well-documented target for United last summer. The club considered potential contract terms, but a transfer did not materialize.
Another key target is Crystal Palace’s Wharton, who could become the latest player to aim for a move away from the south London outfit, with the club aware of the England international’s Champions League ambitions.
Wharton is worth more than £60m and Brighton would need more than £100m to part ways with Baleva, but the former looks like the smarter option, especially given Baleva’s underwhelming campaign to date. The physically superior Cameroonian will be a direct successor to Casemiro, but Wharton’s Carrick-like presence in midfield will signal an evolution in United’s role.
The question of who will play alongside Wharton becomes more complicated given that United already have academy product Koby Mainu. However, there is one exceptional player whose performances this season indicate the club must sign him at all costs, and that is Nottingham Forest’s Anderson.
Elliott Anderson (left) and Adam Wharton (right) become United’s two top signings (Image: 2025 the FA)
Forest have no intention of selling the 23-year-old England international and competition from their Premier League rivals is sure to increase Anderson’s transfer fee, which is reported to be around £75m to £100m. But the all-action midfielder would be worth every penny as a statement signing and a player who would instantly improve the team.
However, should that move fall apart, Wolves’ Gomez would be a likely replacement, with a price tag of between £35m and £45m. The Reds have been monitoring Wolves’ talent since the summer as they look to strengthen their midfield.
Fernandes’ virtual exit therefore leaves a position in attacking midfield open. Of the current players, Matheus Cunha would be the frontrunner for the role of chief creator, although Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has recently been named as an ambitious signing candidate.
Cole Palmer is reportedly homesick (Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
United supporter and former Manchester City player Palmer has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best players since joining Chelsea in 2023, but reports suggest the playmaker is feeling “homesick” in London and could pursue a move closer to his home city of Manchester.
That would certainly work in United’s favor, with Palmer’s salary also thought to be OK. However, the 23-year-old could command a transfer fee of nearly £150m, the highest in Premier League history, making a deal unrealistic.
Instead, Cunha is likely to replace Fernandes if he leaves, with United potentially signing Gomez from Wolves as a third addition in midfield. If that happens, United’s midfield could look like this at the start of the 2026/27 season:
Starters: Adam Wharton, Elliott Anderson, Matheus Cunha.
Depth options: Manuel Ugarte, Koby Mainu, Mason Mount, João Gomez.
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