Manchester United’s devoted fanbase anticipates further arrivals this summer after Matheus Cunha joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £62.5m deal over a month ago.
Such anticipation is wearing thin, though, with it also being over a month since Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo intimated his desire to join Ruben Amorim’s squad this summer. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, demonstrating strong interest, were rejected in favour of Old Trafford.
But that one’s still dragging on, albeit with progress expected in the coming days. Of equal concern, though, is the fact that a group of players, omitted from Amorim’s training sessions, all remain on the books, having yet to find new clubs; these are: Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrell Malacia.
After such an abject 2024/25 campaign, the Premier League giants are looking to return to the fore, but in order to achieve this, they will need to make several more impactful moves to ensure last year’s 15th-place finish fades away.
Man United's transfer plans
While the club’s outgoings indeed form a significant part of Amorim’s summer business, technical director Jason Wilcox will need to add some depth and, more importantly, quality to the ranks.
Bruno Fernandes’ decision to reject the riches of the Saudi Pro League in favour of continuing his talismanic journey at the Theatre of Dreams is such a galvanising factor going forward, but he needs a striker to channel his creativity and more mettle beside him.
With Viktor Gyokeres on the cusp of signing for Arsenal, Amorim will need to look elsewhere if he wants a number nine to replace Rasmus Hojlund.
Well, according to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is one to keep an eye on there, with recent contacts having been established.
Central midfield has also been a point of concern for INEOS, especially now that Christian Eriksen has departed at the end of his contract.
Names such as Wilfred Ndidi and Juventus’ Douglas Luiz have been bandied about, but there’s another who might be the perfect man to join the likes of Fernandes in the centre and complete United’s engine room.
Man Utd open talks for new midfielder
As per Caught Offside, Man United have been locked in talks with Bayern Munich for the potential transfer of their tough-tackling midfielder Joao Palhinha, who only joined from Fulham in a £42m deal one year ago.
The Portugal international, 30, is no longer in Vincent Kompany’s plans, so United might be able to secure this former Premier League star for a cut-price fee, with a €35m (£30m) figure touted.
Having made initial enquiries earlier in the summer Jason Wilcox and Co have maintained communications with the Bundesliga champions and are well placed to beat off competition from Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham and West Ham United.
Why Man Utd want Joao Palhinha
Palhinha is a seasoned midfielder with 68 Premier League appearances to his name. Many players have more, of course, but the former Fulham star was hailed as a “defensive monster” by data analyst Marcus Bring for his efforts while at Craven Cottage.
His tenacious approach is exactly what United need to complete their midfield, especially with Casemiro, 33, edging closer to the twilight years of his career.
And given that Palhinha has proven himself in England’s top flight before, he could be the right signing to bring in, so Fernandes can continue to thrive in the centre of the park, having dropped deeper than before at times last season.
That wasn’t to the skipper’s detriment: he scored eight goals and supplied seven assists across 20 outings when in a deeper-lying capacity last term, and with a range of attacking additions anticipated, this could become the new norm for the 30-year-old.
Manuel Ugarte is a part of Amorim’s squad, but his up-and-down maiden year in England calls for competition to ease his burden. Palhinha can perform this role, instilling the controlled combativeness to free up Bruno’s creative flair.
And it’s not like the United superstar wouldn’t return the favour, for he has made quite the name for himself in England for the completeness of his performances, having averaged 2.3 tackles and 4.8 successful duels per top-flight match last term, as per Sofascore.
However, imagine the added emphasis that could be placed on the true core of his skill set, his playmaking, if a reliable six in Palhinha was placed next to him, utterly relentless in winning the ball back, as we saw across his two Premier League campaigns.
1.
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
152
2.
Joao Gomes
Wolves
128
3.
Vinicius Souza
Sheffield Utd
125
4.
Emerson Palmieri
West Ham
106
5.
Tyrick Mitchell
Crystal Palace
105
Palhinha’s 148 tackles across the 2022/23 also saw him take the top spot with that one, and there’s truly a sense that United would hit the jackpot by bringing him back to English football.
His big-money move to Bayern hasn’t gone to plan, only starting six Bundesliga fixtures over the past year, but an unfortunate muscular tear sustained in November disrupted his fluency, playing into the struggles.
Ultimately, Palhinha would be a credit to Amorim’s system, bringing a new kind of energy to the middle of the park while instilling a sense of experience alongside his compatriot Fernandes.
Whether Man United manage to win the race remains to be seen, but Palhinha would be open to the move and Bayern are looking to sell. When the protracted pursuit of Mbeumo is wrapped up, perhaps we’ll see this one swiftly enter the closing stages.
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