Three factors that could influence Man United’s mega-money dream transfer window
Man Utd could spend big this summer but to achieve the overhaul of the squad they want they will need everything to go their way.
The departures of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro this summer could save Man United a fortune
“A big summer,” is how Harry Maguire described it this week. An expensive summer might be another way of looking at it. Manchester United have plenty to be busy with between the end of this season and the start of the next one.
Even leaving aside the obvious question of who will be in the dugout for 2026/27, the transfer window alone will be occupying plenty of bandwidth around Carrington at the moment. We might still be more than two months from it opening, but plans are well underway to reshape the squad.
Central midfield has been a focus this summer. If 2025 was all about overhauling the attack, then 2026 will be the year of the midfield at Old Trafford. United want at least two new signings and if Manuel Ugarte is sold, it’s not impossible that it becomes three.
But there are other areas of the squad to look at. Luke Shaw has started every Premier League game this season, but his fitness can’t be relied on, especially in a season with closer to 60 games than 40. He has little competition at the moment and is closer to the end than the start of his United career, so signing a left-back is a target for the summer.
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The same is true on the left wing. United sold Alejandro Garnacho last summer, Jadon Sancho will be released when his contract expires in June, and Marcus Rashford is also likely to depart. That is three left-wingers out the door in 12 months.
The dilemma for United is that even those four or five recruits alone are likely to see transfer fees run to £250million, maybe more if top-level targets are secured, such as Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson or Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig.
Along the way, some compromise might be needed, but there are also factors within United’s control that can significantly boost their summer budget.
Firstly, returning to the Champions League would be worth more than £100 million to the club’s revenues. Under Michael Carrick, they are on track to do just that, with a cushion of seven-points to Chelsea in sixth. Returning to Europe’s top table would allow United to be considerably more aggressive in the transfer window.
Then there is the savings they are set to make on wages next season. It is clear that the direction under Ineos has been to sign younger players, and recent additions have been on lower basic salaries.
This summer will see Casemiro and Sancho both leave, with Rashford likely to follow. That would be a saving of more than £750,000-a-week, or around £40m a year. Not only would that create significant room in the budget for wages, but it would also mean some of it could be reinvested in fees.
Finally, there is the money United can raise from player sales. They are set to collect £38m from Napoli for Rasmus Hojlund, with the reigning Serie A champions on course to qualify for the Champions League themselves.
United also want to bank at least £26m for Rashford. That is the fee that Barcelona must pay to make the 28-year-old’s move to the Nou Camp permanent and although there have been reports in Spain that the Catalan club are keen to renegotiate, United officials insist that is a non-starter.
If Barcelona turn their backs on that deal, Rashford will return to United, but having had a good season in La Liga, there is confidence that other clubs would be willing to match that asking price to sign the attacker.
There is no option to buy in Andre Onana’s loan deal with Turkish side Trabzonspor, but equally, no chance that the 29-year-old resurrects his Old Trafford career. Senne Lammens is now firmly installed as the club’s No. 1 and Onana being back-up is unlikely to appeal to him, or to United, given he is paid at the level of a first-choice.
Finding a buyer for the goalkeeper might be more difficult, and there are other players who could look to move on. Joshua Zirkzee is set to push for an exit, having struggled for first-team football, while Ugarte might also be keen to strengthen his own playing time elsewhere.
The deals United can do for those fringe players will influence how they go about replacing them and the budget they will be working with this summer. It goes without saying, but bigger will be better in what will be a crucial window.
