Manchester United are currently in competition with several of their Premier League rivals to sign the “fantastic” midfielder, according to reports.
Manchester United eyeing key midfield upgrade
In the summer, INEOS naturally focused on Man United’s front line. Brian Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha have joined the Red Devils as they spend around £200m. Well, that issue has been resolved, so come 2026 the minority owners will have to deal with Ruben Amorim’s midfield.
The Manchester United manager has been forced to make changes to his squad in recent weeks due to Bruno Fernandes’ injury and Brian Mbeumo’s participation in the AFCON, forcing him to use Lisandro Martínez at the base of midfield.
Man United enter rivalry with Chelsea in race to sign Serie A defender in January
He’s wanted…
Apart from central defenders, Amorim has only the aging Casemiro, the disreputable Koby Mainu and the unreliable Manuel Ugarte to rely on, unless he chooses from the academy. That alone is not strong enough to pursue Champions League football.
It’s no wonder, then, that Manchester United have identified Adam Wharton as one of their top targets for 2026. Along with Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson, the Crystal Palace player has been named at the top of the list of options to revive Amorim’s midfield.
Another option that has been mentioned in recent weeks is Ruben Neves. The Al Hilal midfielder has reportedly refused to renew his contract with Saudi Arabia and is aiming to return to the Premier League amid growing interest from Old Trafford.
If the Portugal international lowers his wage demands, Man United could be in a good position to sign his contract as early as next month.
Furthermore, according to Team Talk, Manchester United are rushing to sign Keith Smit from AZ Alkmaar in a deal to replace Wharton.
Manchester United aim to sign ‘fantastic’ Smit
The 19-year-old is one of Europe’s most promising players and has attracted interest from Man United, Liverpool, Manchester City and several other clubs as a result. If the upgrade goes ahead, he would immediately replace Ugarte and Casemiro at the heart of United’s midfield, but it could also mean the end of Maynou’s Old Trafford career.
One scout told Teamtalk that the Dutchman is the player “everyone is looking at” ahead of 2026, when one of the busiest transfer battles begins to take shape.
“He is a very smart footballer and a lot of clubs actually thought they had discovered a player that others might not have noticed, but in recent months it has become clear that everyone has their eyes on him.”
“If you think of Adam Wharton from England, he’s a real talent, but this is the Dutch version of him.
“He’s probably the best Dutch midfield prospect since Frenkie de Jong. And he can’t do anything wrong, can he? He’s really good and the player everyone will be talking about this summer.”
Worth around £65m, all signs point to top talent and INEOS should go all out to sign Wharton if they miss out next summer.
