Manchester United’s midfield rebuild was supposed to be the headline act of their summer window. Instead it’s turning into a series of near misses and pivots that leave you wondering if any big-name addition actually lands at Old Trafford before September.
The club wanted up to three new midfielders after Casemiro left in January and Manuel Ugarte’s injury sidelined both his transfer value and his availability on the pitch. But almost every primary target has slipped through their fingers for one reason or another.
Anderson and Fernandes slip away
The leading candidate to replace Casemiro was Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. United were ready to battle Manchester City for the 23-year-old England international. But Forest’s asking price — which eventually led to City paying around £116 million after weeks of back-and-forth — scared INEOS off entirely.
With Anderson gone, the club turned to West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes. The logic was simple: West Ham got relegated, so they’d have to sell cheap. United valued Fernandes at roughly £60 million. West Ham wanted £85 million. United decided to wait it out, hoping the price would drop. Then Tottenham jumped in and said they’d pay it. United refused to match, figuring Spurs would just hike their bid anyway.
The Tchouameni situation is complicated
Aurelien Tchouameni has been the dream target since before he moved to Real Madrid in 2022. United tried to sign him then and got rejected. Now there’s chatter that Madrid might sell — they want more creativity in midfield and are eyeing Rodri or Enzo Fernandez, which would require funding a sale. Tchouameni is the most sellable midfielder on Madrid’s books.
But sources inside Old Trafford have downplayed this. BBC Sport reported that United actually expect Tchouameni to stay at the Bernabeu this summer. So that door is probably closed.
Felix Nmecha: a target or just a name?
Then there’s Felix Nmecha from Borussia Dortmund. The 25-year-old German international is a box-to-box midfielder with serious speed and power. He’s also got connections to United’s hierarchy — Jason Wilcox worked with him at Manchester City’s academy, and recruitment director Christopher Vivell knows the Bundesliga well.
Dortmund slapped a £100 million valuation on him to scare off suitors, though his contract has a £70 million release clause that activates next summer. Some see that as a negotiating tactic from a club that usually sells if the price is right. But well-placed sources have told reporters that United “there is nothing proactive happening in terms of trying to sign [Nmecha] at this moment.”
So that’s another one that’s more noise than substance right now.
What’s left on the board
United’s alternative list now includes Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. They’re also reportedly exploring a Chelsea midfielder, which feels like a pivot born more from desperation than strategy.
Meanwhile, United’s direct rivals keep strengthening their own midfields. The pool of available upgrades is shrinking by the week. And with Ugarte’s injury ruling him out both as a sale and as a playing option, the need for reinforcements is even more urgent.
If Michael Carrick wants to compete on four fronts with Champions League football back in the schedule, he needs at least two new bodies in midfield. That’s a lot of work with the window still open but options drying up fast.
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