Manchester United’s route to signing a new central midfielder will reportedly be shaped around saving vast amounts of cash from player departures and savvy contract renewals—meaning Ruben Amorim may have to wait until the summer of 2026 to plump up his engine room.
The Red Devils have started to show some signs of life under Amorim in recent matches, stringing together an unbeaten five-game Premier League run that included three wins on the trot.
United’s performance in the win away at Liverpool was particularly encouraging, injecting a feel-good factor at Old Trafford that has been missing for almost the entirety of Amorim’s tenure.
The summer transfer window just gone saw United beef up Amorim’s attacking options—Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško all arrived for fees north of £60 million ($79.1 million at current conversion)—and Senne Lammens was also drafted in late on to replace the inconsistent André Onana in goal. But there’s been continued discourse about United’s midfield options, despite an apparent resurgence from Casemiro.
Indeed, the Brazilian’s re-emergence as a functioning human being has been one of the surprise tales of United’s 2025–26 campaign. Disenchanted with life in Manchester and a near-certainty to be buying a one-way ticket to the Saudi Pro League, Casemiro’s back playing at a more than competent level, thriving in a two-man midfield that has seen Bruno Fernandes drop deeper to accommodate United’s aforementioned new boys.
United’s List of Midfield Targets
In years gone by, United’s list of transfer targets would have been private and confidential, with the odd smattering of names feeding into the rumour mill at the appropriate time. Now, it’s common knowledge who United are interested in.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller are three names on the agenda, as reiterated by ESPN, while there’s also been talk of bringing Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League as he can’t get a continued run of starts in Atlético Madrid’s midfield. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, a breakthrough star of the last 12 months, has also been linked.
The trouble for United is that each one of those targets will come at a premium price, potentially upwards of £100 million in the case of Baleba and nearing that figure in the case of Wharton, who looked assured for England on Sunday in their routine 2–0 win over Albania in World Cup qualifying.
That’s not the sort of cash United are willing to spend mid-season, nor do any of the players’ current employers have any real interest in doing a deal in January—if it’s going to happen, it’ll be when the summer market is open and there’s more time to source and execute of the signings of appropriate replacements.
ESPN’s report suggests United will instead focus on how they can save for the inevitable spend that is coming, focusing on offloading unwanted players with big salaries and reducing the terms of others who are well paid but knocking on a bit in terms of age—Casemiro and Harry Maguire two that fall into that bracket.
How United Could Save Huge Amounts of Money
Casemiro, 34, is rumoured to earn around £350,000-per-week at United, while Maguire, 32, is pocketing in the region of £200,000-per-week. Both are out of contract in the summer and could leave for nothing, but they are still part of Amorim’s plans and are contributing in a positive manner. That means new contracts could be offered, albeit on significantly reduced terms that are likely to have a number of incentives included rather than a high base pay.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively, trouser an extraordinary £675,000-per-week between them, though that figure is currently being contributed to by the clubs they are at. It’s no surprise to learn that United want to cut ties with both on a permanent basis, knowing they will be making an enormous saving in the process.
Ridding themselves of Sancho and Rashford’s wages, in addition to cutting and losing Casemiro’s and Maguire’s wages, could save United more than £1 million-per-week. Over the course of a calendar year, that means United could save over £50 million in cash just on the wages of four players—an amount that would go a long way to prising Stiller away from Stuttgart as well as taking a large chunk out of a potential Baleba or Wharton fee.
United’s financial model, once those players are out of the equation, will then be far better balanced, placing the club’s marquee players at the top of the wage bill while providing growth opportunities for others who develop into top performers.
ANALYSIS: Can United and Amorim Wait Until January?
Much of United’s improvement has been put down to the fact they are playing a far lower amount of games than in previous years. With no Champions League, Europa League or Conference League football in the mix, alongside an early Carabao Cup exit to League Two Grimsby Town, there’s more rest time for Amorim and his players and more time to work on tactics.
It means there’s less physical strain being put on Casemiro’s aging legs, likewise midfield talisman Fernandes is able to keep fresh and continue clocking up the miles. Kobbie Mainoo is also chomping at the bit, waiting for more game time, and it’s unlikely he’ll be allowed to leave the club in January even if he wants to—West Ham United one of the clubs thought to have promised “guaranteed minutes” were he to join.
There’s also Manuel Ugarte available to come into the side if required, with Lisandro Martínez another left-field option as he closes on a return to full fitness. It’s not ideal for Amorim to wait but United don’t appear to be under severe pressure to act.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Four Players Hold Key to Man Utd Making Quick £50 Million Saving .
