Everything seems to be going well for Manchester United to have Champions League football back on the menu next season, but the challenge now is to build a team that can compete on multiple fronts once again.
There is no denying that they have made impressive progress at Premier League level since their worst-ever result in the competition a year ago, but that came amid two early cup exits and a rare lack of action in Europe.
The momentum for the 2026/27 season will be very different under the next permanent manager, whether it be Michael Carrick or another manager. The recent defeat against Leeds United highlights how little quality the current team is concerned with.
It looks like killing just a handful of players will cause the level to drop, but this issue should be resolved for the upcoming summer period.
Manchester United to hold sensational £43m contract talks this summer
The name on everyone’s radar right now is Nottingham Forest’s England star Elliott Anderson, after United persuaded him to do so, and the 23-year-old produced another impressive performance in midweek’s Europa League victory over Aston Villa.
The former Newcastle United man appears to be INEOS’ top target in the search for a new midfielder, with Casemiro approaching his final four games at Old Trafford.
However, despite all this interest, Anderson is tipped to move to Manchester City, with the mooted £120m transfer fee likely to be exorbitant.
United certainly cannot afford to pay this much, with other priorities to resolve, and a new left-wing target has also emerged in AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
According to TEAMtalk, the Red Devils are one of the clubs who have been approached by intermediaries, and there are suggestions that they have held talks over a possible move for the Portuguese forward.
Leo, who is keen to move to England, has been unable to agree a new contract with the Serie A side and is reportedly aiming to sign him for just 50 million euros (approximately 4.3 billion yen).
Why signing Leo could be a bigger priority for Manchester United
With Casemiro’s departure, the addition of at least one new midfielder is essential at Old Trafford, but can INEOS really justify paying such a huge fee for a relatively young talent like Anderson?
Manchester United’s richest contract in history
Many of their additions have not lived up to expectations.
This seems like too much of a risk now that there are multiple issues to resolve in the first-team ranks, but in Leo’s case the bargain nature of the price tag would certainly make this a worthwhile gamble.
Indeed, in the view of analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson, the 26-year-old has emerged in recent years as “one of the best left-wingers in the world”, offering a solution to United’s recent problems in the position.
As shown against Brentford on Monday night, Matheus Cunha’s absence forced Carrick to reposition Amad to the left, with both he and Brian Mbeumo looking much more comfortable on the right.
Even Cunha himself has typically played as a number 10 or second striker so far in his career, highlighting why an area that was once largely bloated with wide men is in need of quick reinforcements.
Of course, Leo still has 10 goals in all competitions, nine of which have come in Serie A, but there may be concerns about Leo’s mixed season back at Milan amid some injury problems.
He had double-digit assists in each of the previous four seasons and hasn’t scored fewer than eight goals in a league game since 2021, but he has proven to be so prolific in the left channel.
Leo’s Serie A results | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | Goal (assist) |
25/26 | 26 | 9(3) |
24/25 | 34 | 8(10) |
23/24 | 34 | 9(10) |
22/23 | 35 | 15(10) |
21/22 | 34 | 11(10) |
20/21 | 30 | 6(6) |
19/20 | 31 | 6(1) |
total | 224 | 64(50) |
While Anderson has been a relatively breakout star this season, having only been capped for England in the autumn, Leo has long been a talisman at the San Siro, currently scoring 85 goals and providing 65 assists in 288 games for the club.
There are elements of Marcus Rashford throughout Leo’s game, and he has previously hinted that he is modeled after United’s British exile.
Like Rashford, the way he transforms defense into attack in an instant is sometimes breathtaking, and he boasts the perfect blend of speed and power, with the end product to match.
As mentioned above, it’s hard to argue with his consistently impressive numbers as both creator and finisher, and his £43m fee makes this an opportunity INEOS would be foolish to pass up.
Anderson is currently in the spotlight two years after leaving Newcastle, but he is only in his second full season in the Premier League and there is no need to rush out on such a big transfer fee to secure a contract.
Meanwhile, Leo has shown what he is capable of both season and season at Milan and now it is time for that talent to be unleashed on English shores.
INEOS awards gold to Manchester United star who is worth more than Maynou and Anderson
Man United have welcomed another exciting young star to Old Trafford.
