Manchester United are moving early in the summer transfer market, with eight targets already identified as the club looks to restructure its squad fundamentally ahead of next season. The Red Devils want to avoid the premium prices that historically follow tournament football, and with the World Cup arriving this summer, their recruitment team is working to finalise deals before valuations spike.
Manchester United set sights on eight summer targets as Old Trafford overhaul takes shape.
The most pressing issue sits in central midfield. Casemiro, once a transformative signing, has struggled enormously over the past two seasons, and the club expect him to leave at the end of the campaign. Brighton’s Carlos Baleba leads United’s shortlist as the defensive midfielder to replace him. A previous approach fell short, but United believe his valuation has softened enough to make a deal realistic this time around.
Alongside a defensive anchor, United also want a creative number eight, and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest sits at the top of that list. However, Manchester City are monitoring the same player, making this one of the summer’s more competitive deals to crack. Should that move collapse, Joao Gomes of Wolves and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are realistic alternatives, with Gomes’ price potentially dropping if Wolves suffer relegation.
The teenage winger shining at Leipzig
The most exciting name on United’s list is RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande. The 19-year-old Ivorian winger only joined Leipzig last July for €20 million, but he has repaid that fee many times over this season. Across 26 Bundesliga appearances in 2025/26, Diomande has contributed 10 goals and six assists, averaging a FotMob rating of 7.62. He became only the second youngest player in Bundesliga history to score a hat-trick after netting three against Eintracht Frankfurt in December.
His strengths lie in direct runs in behind the defence, pace, and finishing from the right flank. His weaker side remains his consistency in tight spaces against deep defensive blocks. United specifically want a right-footed winger, and Diomande is precisely the profile they need.
Arsenal join the race to sign €50m Liverpool target
On left-back, Newcastle’s Lewis Hall is the primary target after earning an England call-up under Thomas Tuchel, with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown serving as a backup option. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye rounds out the attacking additions United are targeting before the market inflates. ( Report via GOAL).
