Manchester United went into this summer expecting to land three midfielders, a left winger and maybe a defensive piece on the cheap. They got Ederson. That’s it so far.
The Champions League qualification cash was supposed to fuel a blockbuster window. Instead, INEOS has watched three priority targets slip through their fingers in a span of days. Elliot Anderson went to Manchester City for £116 million. Mateus Fernandes joined Tottenham for £85 million. And Sandro Tonali is about to sign for Spurs too at £100 million with add-ons.
United balked at all three price tags. Now they’re scrambling down a list that keeps getting longer.
According to the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler, who covers the club closely, the names still on the board include Aurelien Tchouameni, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, Felix Nmecha, Tyler Adams and Alex Scott. But calling them serious targets might be generous for some of them.
Scott is the most likely next move. Even that’s complicated.
Wheeler says Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is the guy United would probably turn to first. And there’s a good reason for that. The 22-year-old is genuinely admired at Old Trafford. But Bournemouth has signaled pretty clearly that he’s not for sale. They want to extend his contract, which runs through 2028, and they’re already looking at the Anderson and Fernandes fees as leverage. Scott was thought to cost around £60 million. That number is climbing fast.
Arsenal is the main competition there. City, Chelsea and Tottenham are also lurking.
Wheeler put it plainly: Bournemouth insists he’s not available. United fans shouldn’t get too excited about this one.
Tchouameni is the pipe dream. Baleba and Wharton have cooled.
Tchouameni remains high on United’s list, but there’s no indication Real Madrid wants to sell. Jose Mourinho just returned to the Bernabeu and the Frenchman is part of his plans. Even if Madrid listened, the transfer fee and wages would likely be the same kind of obstacle that killed the Anderson and Fernandes deals.
Wheeler also noted that Baleba and Wharton haven’t been central to United’s discussions so far this summer. That’s a telling detail. Two names that generated buzz earlier in the window appear to have faded.
Tyler Adams and Felix Nmecha are in the mix too. Adams plays alongside Scott at Bournemouth. Nmecha is at Dortmund. Neither feels like a priority signing at this point.
Some United fans are already grumbling about missing out on Fernandes, especially after some of them were skeptical about the Ederson signing in the first place. Others are backing the club’s decision to hold the line on pricing they considered unreasonable. Either way, the clock is ticking and the list of realistic options is shrinking fast.
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