Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is set for another busy summer as he looks to make multiple signings and continue the overhaul of his squad.
Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are both leaving as free agents at the end of their respective contracts with further defenders set to depart, as Ten Hag continues his ruthless approach at the club and reshaping the squad to fit his demands.
Alex Telles and Eric Bailly, who are both returning from loan spells at Sevilla and Marseille respectively, will be made available for permanent exits, as will Brandon Williams. United will also listen to offers for Fred and Scott McTominay, although they would only be willing to allow one to depart this summer.
There are question marks over a series of high-earning players that do not fit into Ten Hag’s first team plans such as out-of-contract goalkeeper David de Gea, club captain Harry Maguire and Antony Martial, all of whom may be moved on this summer. The loan deals for Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer are also expiring.
So where do United stand in their pursuit of transfer targets this summer? The summer transfer window may have only just opened but negotiations have been in place for several weeks as they look to put the framework in place for multiple deals.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane was top of on Ten Hag’s target list this summer as he is on red alert to sign a central striker at Old Trafford. United are desperate to sign an elite central striker and believed the contractual situation of Kane – a free agent next summer – would mean that a deal is possible this summer.
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However, despite that intense interest – the club have reluctantly opted against pursuing a move for Kane as they do not believe Spurs will sell, much less to a direct Premier League rival. The club are thought to have a similar stance on Victor Osimhen – a striker who ticks all the boxes for Ten Hag but Napoli’s prohibitive price tag has cooled interested in a deal.
Instead, United are now keen on signing two strikers at a more affordable price. Talks have been held over moves for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani . As reported in The Athletic, interest in both has been moved forward with deals being assessed. Goncalo Ramos of Benfica is another option, with the Lisbon giants giving his agent Jorge Mendes permission to pursue a move.
Denmark international Hojlund is seen as a striker with huge future potential and has impressed in his debut season in Bergamo having joined from Sturm Graz last summer. United are emerging as favourites to sign Hojlund. It is believed that a bid of £43million (€50m) would be enough to sign the striker, with Sky Sports reporting that the Red Devils are poised to formalise their interest in the player.
Speaking back in January, Hojlund revealed of his preference for joining United: “Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan. So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me, but of course, that doesn’t mean that I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point.”
Interest in France international Kolo Muani may prove trickier to bring to a conclusion, but United have received a boost in that Frankfurt will not seek to increase his relatively modest €1.5million annual salary while his future is uncertain – as detailed by Sky Sports in Germany.
Aside from strikers, United are also pushing for the transfer of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount . He is aware that Chelsea want to sell him this summer and he has expressed a preference for joining United in that instance.
United have seen a £40million offer knocked back for the England international and are willing to go up to £60million to secure the player, with personal terms thought to be agreed. The transfer is far from finalised, but a move appears likely at this stage.
The same cannot be said for Mount’s close friend and West Ham captain Declan Rice , who United admire but will not pursue this summer due to priorities elsewhere. Arsenal and Manchester City are the clubs leading the race to sign the 24-year-old.
In defence, Napoli star Kim Min-jae is United’s number one target and the player is open to joining the club. However, the convoluted nature of his release clause and interest from Bayern Munich means any deal is likely to be complicated.
Kim, 26, has been linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford for months after starring in Napoli’s run to the title. The addition of a defender is seen as important should Maguire and Bailly, as expected, join the exits of Jones and Tuanzebe this summer.
It is also known that Monaco defender and France international Axel Disasi , who featured in the World Cup final, has made United aware of his desire to move to the club. Disasi is on United’s shortlist for defensive improvement should a move for Kim not prove possible.
Ten Hag Hag is considering a reunification with his former Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana as he looks to ruin Chelsea’s pursuit of the Inter shot-stopper. United are on the lookout for a new shot-stopper with De Gea out of contract this summer and an increasing probability that he will leave Old Trafford.
Onana is on a three-man United shortlist for the position alongside Porto goalkeeper and Portugal international Diogo Costa , with Brentford’s David Raya also on the list. However, it is believed Raya is more likely to join Tottenham this summer and United have not advanced their interest.
There is no shortage of work to be done at Old Trafford in the two months building up to the start of the new season with a multitude of player arrivals and exits expected.
