Manchester United officially move to sign £50m winger

Manchester United are no strangers to spending big on new attacking talent in recent years, as evidenced by their efforts in last summer’s transfer window.

The Red Devils have spent more than £200m on three new forwards, and it’s safe to say that all three have managed to hit the ground running at Old Trafford.

Benjamin Sesco, Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha all arrived in Manchester over 12 months ago and the aforementioned trio have scored 32 goals in the Premier League.

They were the only players in Michael Carrick’s senior ranks to achieve double figures and then helped the club return to Champions League football after a two-year absence.

Despite the impact of their attacking star at Theater of Dreams, INEOS are likely hoping to add more reinforcements during this period to give their manager more depth.

Manchester United enter contract talks for £50m attacking talent

United have been linked with a number of attacking options in recent weeks ahead of the opening of the transfer window on Monday morning.

AC Milan winger Rafael Leao has been mentioned as one of the leading options, and the player himself is said to be open to a move to the Premier League this season.

The Portugal international is currently said to be worth around £40m, with Arsenal also among the English players in the race for the 27-year-old.

Leo is not the only player currently on the Red Devils’ transfer list, with West Ham United star Crisencio Somerville also currently being considered.

According to TEAMtalk, United are making moves towards signing the player and are already in talks with the recently relegated club over the possibility of securing a move for the 24-year-old this summer.

A “formal” investigation has already been submitted, and the player himself is reported to want to return to the Premier League this summer, with other club Tottenham Hotspur also said to have been in contact with his agent in recent days.

Any deal will cost those involved a significant amount of money this summer, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have a £50m asking price on the attacker’s head.

Why Somerville will be like United’s Rashford

United supporters were left baffled last summer after manager Ruben Amorim decided to loan forward Marcus Rashford to Barcelona with an option to buy.

The Englishman fell significantly down the pecking order during his former manager’s spell at Old Trafford, but the 28-year-old managed to break into stardom during his temporary stay in Spain.

In 49 appearances in all competitions last season, the winger scored a total of 25 goals and provided an assist as he helped Hansi Flick’s side to La Liga glory.

However, it has been confirmed that Barça will not exercise his buy option, putting the attacker’s long-term future at Old Trafford in doubt once again.

Rashford will likely be sidelined completely during the summer, but his goal in Wednesday night’s World Cup opener against Croatia is proof he still has talent.

Somerville’s move could mean United will be signing the next version of the West Ham star, an English player with a very similar skill set to the Red Devils academy product.

Both are excellent left-wing options who like to cut inside with their favored right foot, often aiming for the top corner – as the Dutchman proved throughout the 2025/26 season.

The 24-year-old scored seven goals in 34 appearances in all competitions, but it wasn’t enough to secure the club’s place in the Premier League at the end of May.

Described as “unstoppable” by coach Espirito Santo, Somerville boasts an impressive success rate of 1.9 successful dribbles per 90, ranking him in the top 18% of players in Europe’s top five leagues.

The aforementioned figure is higher than Rashford’s and highlights the Hammers’ ability to cause carnage when they have a chance to run towards the opponent in the attacking area.

Also, in last season’s Premier League, he was able to record 2.4 fouls per 90, as opponents often had to resort to fouls to avoid causing lasting damage to attackers.

His cross success rate of 23% and shot-on-target accuracy of 28% attest to his ability to bring final fruit to his stray runs, something Rashford has been questioned of of late.

£50 million would be an even more expensive addition for United, but it could provide Carrick with the added depth and quality he is looking for in attacking areas.

Rashford’s departure would be a sad end to an incredible career in Manchester, but the signing of Somerville will no doubt soften the blow this summer.