Bruno Guimarães is liked by Manchester United (Image: Getty)
Manchester United’s internationals are enjoying an extra few days off this week before returning to Carrington at the weekend and starting an intensive training camp in Ireland next week. The team traveled to Dublin on Monday and are expected to stay until Thursday as manager Michael Carrick looks to get his players back fit in time for the Premier League restart against Leeds on Monday, April 13.
This will finally eliminate the 24-day gap between matches, but plans for the summer are well underway, although things seem quiet at the moment. As Man United finalize their transfer plans, Express Sport answers your questions…
Could United sign three midfielders this summer?
Yes, it is possible, but it depends on several factors. If Manuel Ugarte leaves, there is certainly a case for signing three midfielders. Two will replace Casemiro and Ugarte, and the other will provide backup and competition for Koby Mainu.
But it would be surprising if United signed three midfielders. Even if Ugarte leaves, I think two is much more likely as Mason Mount could be used in a deeper role and perhaps someone from the academy could be given a first-team chance in a cup competition.
A new number six will cost a lot of money and other areas are being considered, particularly left-back and left-winger. It will be difficult to achieve everything in one summer, but a return to the Champions League would help, as would selling Andre Onana, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.
Could they sign Bruno Guimarães and Elliott Anderson this summer?
No, I don’t think that’s likely. Anderson is a top target for the No. 6 role, but United will face stiff competition from Manchester City. This is going to be a difficult deal and I think it will cost at least £80m.
Guimarães’ name has been floating around recently, but the 29-year-old in November is not your typical Ineos player. Newcastle may be considering selling Sandro Tonali, but Guimarães is their captain and a key figure in the team and they will be desperate not to lose him, pushing up the price on a player with no resale value.
It’s not the kind of deal United have been doing lately, and if they were to spend a lot of money on Anderson, you’d expect the second midfielder to come from a lower price point.
Sandro Tonali has proven himself in the Premier League, but will that be important in signing the midfielder this summer?
Yes, I think it will be very important and I believe the signing of United’s main midfield player this summer will be Premier League-proven. We saw that last summer with Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, who have become the focal point of Old Trafford’s recruitment efforts.
Tonali, Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleva are all established players in the Premier League. United have recently scouted Joao Gomez, with the Brazilian due to leave Wolves this summer, and are also monitoring Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who has also been linked with teammate Tyler Adams.
There are other continental midfielders that United are eyeing as well, but I expect at least one to earn an elite-level contract, possibly from the Premier League this summer.
Sandro Tonali has been praised by Manchester United (Image: Getty)
Will Alejandro Garnacho return to United?
It’s very difficult to understand how this can happen. Garnacho burned a lot of bridges when he left United, but he has pulled up little wood at Chelsea. At just 21 years old, time is on his side, but he must be careful not to waste his talent.
He never fit in well tactically under Ruben Amorim, but his attitude also let him down and Amorim wasn’t the only one who had enough by the end of last season. This is a shame because if Garnacho had sat down and persisted, he probably would have been the club’s first-choice left winger right now.
Will the fullback position be considered this summer? I am not convinced by Dalot and Shaw.
I think both full-back positions will be on the table in the long term, but the focus will be on left-back this summer. Depth is needed with Tyrell Malasia leaving on a free transfer, Patrick Dawg likely to play more as a winger and Luke Shaw now in his 30s.
Shaw has started every Premier League game this season, but his fitness will be put to the test if next season’s schedule gets tougher and it’s clear he won’t be reliable.
United are looking for competition for the 30-year-old this summer and the idea is to sign a younger player who could also be Shaw’s long-term successor.
On the right, Diogo Dalot and Nousser Mazraoui are likely to continue next season, but I expect the right-back position to be the center of attention in the summer of 2027.
