Signing Ederson was inevitable, everyone at Manchester United knows that.
Casemiro is still officially a United player, but he won’t be for much longer. He is scheduled to depart within the next few weeks. With the impending departure of Manuel Ugarte, there is a growing need to sign several midfielders.
Ederson is the first to arrive, and we can probably expect two or three more. Elliott Anderson is the top target but is widely expected to join rivals Manchester City.
West Ham star Matheus Fernandes and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are also on the radar. You would imagine that whoever comes next will be a bigger signing than the Brazilian midfielder.
His arrival from Atalanta for around £39 million feels like a relative bargain in a world of inflated transfer fees.
That said, midfield is not the only area of discussion for the Red Devils.
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United appears to have changed its recruiting strategy over the past year. They are fed up with foreign imports such as Anthony, Jadon Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who have all been notable failures in recent years.
Of course, Senne Lamence and Benjamin Sesco haven’t been as poor by any stretch of the imagination since arriving last summer, but they’ve brought in two players with proven Premier League experience in Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbeumo, and they’ve hit the ground running.
They’ll be looking to repeat that trick this summer, which explains the links with Anderson, Fernandez, Wharton, Alex Scott and Carlos Baleva.
It’s a strategy that dates back to the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. During his heyday at Old Trafford, the Scot regularly raided the top division to recruit the best players. Look at Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Robin van Persie as the three biggest examples.
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Well, United aren’t just focusing on these five midfielders. In fact, they are eyeing Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall to strengthen their defence.
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who revealed that United have shown strong interest in the left-back. Hall is said to be keen on a move to manager Michael Carrick’s side. He is very attracted to the idea of playing in the Champions League after Newcastle missed out on continental competition in 2026/27.
United are said to have already made a positive offer for the player, with the aim of forging a relationship with his agent.
Any deal will not come cheap, with previous reports suggesting the asking price could be as high as £70m.
Why Hall is a better contract than Ederson
United needed a midfielder this summer and they got one. It was absolutely necessary for them to do so.
According to Italian content creator Damiano Coccia, they have signed “the best defensive midfielder in the world” in Ederson. He is an underrated character and his price of £39 million is a bargain considering some of the fees mentioned for Anderson, Baleva and others.
That being said, is it the marquee sign that supporters wanted and craved? Certainly not.
Of course, United have spent a lot of money in the past and it has gone very badly wrong, but when you do that on a Premier League player the risks are negated. This explains why Anderson was touted for £100m and Fernandes was slapped with an asking price of £80m.
In a day of hasty spending, Jason Wilcox and company did well to pick up Ederson. That being said, there is a feeling that Hall is a much better deal here despite playing in a different position.
In reality, signing players at both positions is a must, but in Hall’s case, there’s little chance this move will go wrong. In Ederson’s case, United fans are concerned that this could be a repeat of Ugarte, especially if he starts every week.
The club’s problems with signing players from overseas are well-documented, but acquiring Hall could repeat the Mbemo-Cunha trick from a year ago.
So why are Newcastle players able to get such good deals? Well, Luke Shaw is not getting any younger and will now have to compete in European football, despite playing all 38 league games for the first time in his Old Trafford career throughout the 2025/26 season. It’s impossible for him to play every game again.
Carrick needs competition for the show, and importantly, he really needs an upgrade. Mr. Hall will provide just that.
The 21-year-old, who was traded as a midfielder, emerged as a left-back at St James’ Park and was described by journalist Stephen Railstone as “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League” after his move from Chelsea.
Lewis Hall vs Luke Shaw: 2025/26 Premier League | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | hole | show |
shot | 1.03 | 0.28 |
key pass | 0.80 | 0.40 |
dribbling success | 1.53 | 0.28 |
progressive carry | 1.78 | 0.97 |
progressive path | 3.18 | 3.31 |
Win a Defense Ground Duel | 2.29 | 1.69 |
won an aerial battle | 1.07 | 1.78 |
tackles and interceptions | 2.81 | 2.74 |
Number of balls collected | 6.10 | 3.31 |
The young defender is very safe in holding the football. He ranks in the top 8% of left-backs in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of successful dribbles per 90 minutes.
The England international is far better than Shaw in that respect. Possessing plenty of energy, he loves getting up and down the pitch and has more progressive carries per 90 seconds than Shaw.
Defenders should always be judged on their defensive ability first and foremost, but the amount of additional threat Hall can give United in possession is day and night compared to Shaw. He made more important passes and took more shots.
However, Toon Star is not slacking on defense. In the 2025/26 season, the number of ball recoveries per 90 increased by nearly three more.
If all is said and done at the end of the summer and Hall’s transfer is completed, he will undoubtedly be rated as a better and more exciting signing than Ederson.
The Brazilian is essential, but he won’t be a complete game-changer. But Hall has the potential to truly raise the ceiling for this team. At just 21 years old, he has a huge future in the game.
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