You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who expected Manchester United’s first signings of the summer to be Andrej Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, but so far things haven’t worked out as expected.
While INEOS has confidence in the bank following its recruitment success in 2025, there are still questions to be answered regarding this summer’s activities.
Would United be wise not to pay dizzying transfer fees for players like Elliott Anderson, Matheus Fernandes or Morgan Rodgers? Or, as was often the case during the Glazer era, will this be just another quiet summer at a time when the club appears ready to hit the ground running?
That will all be decided in the coming weeks and months, and it’s time for the Red Devils to start shifting their focus away from their midfield unit.
Why Manchester United urgently need to make attacking signings
While talk remains centered around the elusive ‘third midfielder’, it would be a mistake to suggest that United have no other areas to sort out ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Up front, Joshua Zirkzee and Amad scored just four goals last time out in the Premier League, while Patrick Dorg has only just moved into a more attacking role, and there is a noticeable lack of depth and proven quality.
Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all made their debuts a big hit, scoring in double digits in league games, but all three went through quiet periods and struggled for real consistency.
Manchester United – Minutes per goal (25/26 PL) | ||
|---|---|---|
player | minutes per goal | the goal |
Sesco | 149 | 11 |
Mbeumo | 238 | 11 |
Cunha | 250 | 10 |
Casemiro | 288 | 9 |
jirkzee | 333 | 3 |
mount | 339 | 3 |
Fernandez | 341 | 9 |
i go to sleep | 365 | 4 |
Football’s Champions League is still on the agenda for next season, but Michael Carrick’s side don’t look armed and ready to fight on multiple fronts. Does anyone really have faith that a returning Marcus Rashford will be able to perform again?
West Ham United’s Crisencio Somerville was mentioned as a possible successor. The Dutchman has just played four games for the Netherlands at the World Cup, scoring four goals and assisting four goals.
Although he is an exciting and explosive talent, the 24-year-old only scored five goals in the top flight last season, after scoring just one the year before, and was certainly something of a risk for the Red Devils.
In fact, INEOS may need to set its sights a little higher in the coming weeks.
£60m World Cup star wants move to Manchester United
A £50m move to Somerville had been mooted, but the former Leeds United man looks set to make a shock move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia for a fee of around £69m, as the Hammers look for cash following their recent relegation.
Whether INEOS goes ahead with signing an alternative plan will depend on Rashford’s situation, but it remains to be seen whether this talk of “reunification” is just a smokescreen for a future sale.
Regardless of whether the Englishman stays or leaves, a new forward is needed and Futmercato report that Ismaila Sarr is on United’s target list.
The Senegal star is said to not be a “priority” at the moment, but contract talks are underway and United are exploring a range of options.
As for the player himself, the £60m-rated marksman is said to be a lifelong fan of the club and views a move to Old Trafford as his ‘dream’ move, suggesting he is certainly keen to join.
Sarr, 28, won’t necessarily sign a long-term deal with INEOS and is more of a player in the Tielemans mold, but it’s still hard to argue with what he’s offering at the moment.
While Senegal were most recently eliminated by Belgium in the Round of 32, the Crystal Palace man was in a phenomenal form in the early stages of the competition, scoring four goals and providing one assist in just four games.
This comes after an excellent year at Selhurst Park, with Sarr emerging as a key player under Oliver Glasner as the Eagles cruised to Conference League glory with nine points in just 13 games.
In total, he finished the 2025/26 season with 21 club goals across all fronts, nine of which came in the Premier League, taking him to 17 league goals since the start of the 2024/25 season.
As mentioned, Somerville has yet to prove himself at England’s top level, scoring just six league goals over the same period.
The former Watford winger has made 116 career Premier League appearances, scoring 43 goals and assisting, but has just 18 goals and assists in 84 appearances for Somerville.
Sarr is, of course, four years older, but Somerville himself is not exactly a young prospect at 24, and United may well have been betting on potential rather than proven.
Sarr is a different matter, however, and his ability to play on the wing or as a No. 9 is also a huge advantage, especially with Carrick’s preferred forward line still undecided.
Again, this may not be an equally strong move now that the aforementioned Rodgers is heading to Chelsea in a £117m deal, but given his form over the past 12 months or so, Sarr could be a truly inspired surprise signing.
