Champions League football looks set to return to Manchester United next season, everything is going well, there is work now to put together a team that will be able to compete in many competitions again.
It’s undeniably been a dramatic improvement in Premier League standing, following their worst finish in the competition the year before, yet that’s come amid two quick cup exits and a rare lack of European games.
The dynamic will be completely different in 2026/27 under the next manager, be it Michael Carrick or someone else, with the recent defeat to Leeds United highlighting just how bright the current crop is.
Take out a few players and the standards seem to drop, a problem that needs to be solved in the coming summer window.
Man Utd are holding talks to sign the £43m sensation this summer
The word on everyone’s lips right now comes from United’s acquisition of Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson, with the 23-year-old adding another fine touch to his side’s Europa League win over Aston Villa in midweek.
The former Newcastle United man appears to be INEOS’ top target in their search for a new midfielder, with Casemiro approaching the final four games of his time at Old Trafford.
For all that apparent interest, however, the expectation is that Anderson will end up at Manchester City, with talk of a £120m transfer fee likely to prove untenable.
United will not be able to pay such a price when there are other important matters to be resolved, and a target on the left side comes in the form of Rafael Leao of AC Milan.
According to TEAMtalk, there is a suggestion that the Red Devils had discussions that the Portuguese striker could be among the clubs contacted by the mediators.
Leao – who wants to move to England – looks set to be snapped up for €50m (£43m), having failed to agree a new contract with the Serie A club.
Why signing Leao would be the most important thing for Man Utd
With Casemiro leaving, the inclusion of at least one central midfielder is essential at Old Trafford, although can INEOS really justify paying such a hefty fine for a young talent like Anderson?
Man Utd’s most expensive signing ever
A lot of their additions fell short of expectations.
That seems too big a risk to take at a time when there is more than one issue to be resolved in the first team, while in Leao’s case, his bargain price ensures this will be a worthwhile gamble.
Indeed, in recent years, the 26-year-old has emerged as “one of the best left-backs in the world”, according to analyst and Como scout, Ben Mattinson, offering a solution to what has been United’s problem of late.
As shown on Monday night against Brentford, the absence of Matheus Cunha forced Carrick to move Amad to the left, with him and Bryan Mbeumo looking more comfortable on the right.
Even Cunha himself has worked as a tenth or second striker in his career so far, highlighting why the once almost overcrowded area now needs to be strengthened urgently.
Of course, there may be concerns about Leao’s mixed season back at Milan, amid a number of injury problems, although he still scored ten goals in all competitions, nine of which came in Serie A.
In each of the previous four seasons before that, he had reached double figures in assists, while not dipping below eight goals in the league since 2021, proving a handful in that left channel.
|
Leao’s Serie A record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
Games |
Terms (Help) |
|
25/26 |
26 |
9 (3) |
|
24/25 |
34 |
8 (10) |
|
23/24 |
34 |
9 (10) |
|
22/23 |
35 |
15 (10) |
|
21/22 |
34 |
11 (10) |
|
20/21 |
30 |
6 (6) |
|
19/20 |
31 |
6 (1) |
|
Total |
224 |
64 (50) |
While Anderson, who was only capped by England in the Autumn, has been a relative star this season, Leao has long been a standout at the San Siro, now racking up 85 goals and 65 assists in 288 appearances for the club so far.
In his power, there are Marcus Rashford’s things about Leao’s game, as he has revealed that he imitated his game at United in exile.
The way he can turn defense into attack in an instant, like Rashford, can sometimes be amazing, boasting that perfect combination of speed and power, alongside the end product to match.
As noted above, it’s hard to argue with his consistently impressive figures as a creator and finisher himself, with a £43m turnover making this an opportunity INEOS would be foolish to ignore.
Anderson, who has been away from Newcastle for two years, is turning heads now, but in his second full season of Premier League football, there is no rush to shell out such an earth-shaking sum to secure his signature.
Leao has already shown what he can do during the season, when he played for Milan, now it’s time for his talent to be shown on the shores of England.
INEOS has found gold in the Man Utd star who is more important than Mainoo and Anderson
Man Utd have another exciting star from Old Trafford.
