Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Richard Fay

Manchester United's possible 25-man squad for next season includes five new signings

The hard work is already under way as Manchester United prepare for another important summer transfer window.

Erik ten Hag laid some solid foundations during his debut campaign at the club, and now the focus is on taking his rebuild to the next stage with a few choice additions.

United will look to strengthen a couple of starting roles this summer and will also look to strengthen their overall squad depth, replacing fringe players with options better suited to their style of play.

Read next: Kasper Schmeichel gives inside information on Sir Jim Ratcliffe ownership

The biggest issue for United is that, while they should be able to afford an elite striker this summer, any other additions will have to be financed through player sales.

It means that the other positions in this squad are taken up by free agents, players with low release clauses, or those who are not in the top bracket of players in their respected roles.

Harry Kane is Ten Hag's No.1 attacking addition, while Victor Osimhen is also of interest. United are also keeping tabs on Rasmus Højlund and Randal Kolo Muani as cheaper alternatives if they are unable to sign either of their two preferred options.

United also have an interest in adding another creative midfielder to their side at the end of the season, though this is one area in which they most likely won't be able to afford a top target.

Jude Bellingham and Frenkie de Jong are both of interest to the club, but it's unlikely United would be able to sign either of them as well as a world-class striker.

Youri Tielemans could therefore be the ideal addition as he approaches the end of his Leicester contract. The 25-year-old is already proven in the Premier League and could be the perfect player to occupy a squad role next season as an understudy to Christian Eriksen.

Another area targeted for improvement is at right-back. United have held talks with the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong, with Ten Hag eager to add a more attack-minded option in that role.

Any arrival in this position would rely on the sale of either Diogo Dalot or Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Ten Hag still split on which player is better suited to a long-term role in his side.

United are also likely to be in the market for a new centre-back one of their current defenders leaves. Harry Maguire seems by far the most likely to depart given his recent demotion from the starting line-up, even during a defensive crisis, though it relies on finding someone willing to match his hefty valuation.

The tricky task for United will be to find a central defender who is happy to join the club in a rotational role, given that they will most likely be arriving as a third or even fourth choice. Jurrien Timber was targeted last summer and could well be on Ten Hag's radar again for this role.

United could also look to strengthen their goalkeeping options. David de Gea set to remain the first-choice next season, though there are continued concerns about his suitability for Ten Hag's desired style of play.

It might be best for United to sign an understudy now, who can have a full season of training alongside De Gea, before eventually replacing him in the years to come.

Dominik Livaković is one option, with the Croatian 'keeper understood to have a €10 million release clause in his Dinamo Zagreb contract. United could also make an approach for Brentford shot-stopper David Raya as he nears the end of his Brentford contract, though it might be difficult to convince him to occupy a back-up role next season.

They could also bolster their senior squad options by giving opportunities to returning loanees such as Amad and Alvaro Fernandez, while academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo could be given further chances in the first-team.

United's possible 25-man squad for next season:

De Gea, Heaton, Livakovic; Dalot, Dumfries, Varane, Lindelof, Martinez, Timber, Shaw, Malacia; Casemiro, Eriksen, Fred, Tielemans, Mainoo, Fernandes, Van de Beek; Antony, Amad, Sancho, Rashford, Garnacho, Martial, Kane.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.