Manchester United will target not one but two central midfielders in the summer transfer window. That much is now clear. Sources close to the club's recruitment team have confirmed that Casemiro's departure at the end of the season — earning around £350,000-a-week — will free up the budget needed to overhaul the middle of the park.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the January window passed without a single signing, the only outgoing being Harry Amass's loan to Norwich. It was deliberate. United's recruitment staff spent the month evaluating rather than buying, and they have settled on a shortlist that won't surprise anyone who's been paying attention.
Three names, one clear favourite
Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest is United's first-choice target. That was reported by TEAMtalk back in November and subsequently confirmed by The Athletic in December. The 23-year-old has been outstanding since leaving Newcastle for £35m in 2024, earning six England caps under Thomas Tuchel. He plays in the double pivot, carries the ball well, and presses like his mortgage depends on it. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis won't sell for less than £100m, per multiple sources.
The problem is Manchester City. Hugo Viana's scouts have watched Anderson more than ten times this season according to Transfer News Live, citing Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri. The i Paper reported last month that Anderson would prefer a move to City over United. That is the kind of sentence that should worry anyone at Old Trafford. United know about it. They haven't walked away, but they've adjusted their planning accordingly.
Carlos Baleba at Brighton is the second target. United agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old last summer before walking away from Brighton's £100m-plus asking price. Fabrizio Romano confirmed in December that United "have not stopped discussing" Baleba internally. The Cameroon international, currently at AFCON, has had a poor season domestically — Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler admitted in September the transfer speculation "might affect him deep, deep down" — but the club still views him as an ideal fit for the double pivot.
Brighton's deputy chairman Paul Barber told talkSPORT in January: "We have no plans or desire to sell Carlos in this window or any future window." Translation: make us an offer we can't refuse. Reports from Tavolieri suggest Brighton could accept bids starting at around €85m (roughly £75m) this summer, a significant drop from the £100m they demanded in August.
Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace completes the primary shortlist. The 21-year-old England international, who won the FA Cup with Palace last season, is expected to leave Selhurst Park this summer. Palace are "readying themselves for interest and offers," per Football Insider. Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man City have all been linked. The fee is expected to land somewhere between £60m and £80m.
Why two and not one
The numbers spell it out. Under Michael Carrick's 4-2-3-1, United need two in the double pivot every game. Right now they have Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte. That's it. As The Athletic put it plainly: "An injury to one of those three would leave United light in the middle of the park." Two absences would mean pulling kids from the academy or asking someone to play out of position. Neither is acceptable for a club chasing the top four.
Casemiro has been excellent this season — arguably his best form since arriving from Real Madrid in 2022. But the club chose not to activate the extension clause in his contract. That's not a slight on the player. It's a calculation. He turns 34 in February and his wages are the highest at the club. Moving on now, while he still has value and dignity, avoids the kind of slow decline that has haunted other United contracts in recent years.
What happens next
Carrick has told the board he is willing to advise on the midfield rebuild regardless of whether he is still in charge beyond June. That detail, first reported by The Athletic, matters. It suggests the planning won't be derailed by the managerial situation.
The likely scenario: United pursue Anderson and Baleba as a pair. If Anderson chooses City — which currently looks probable — they pivot to Wharton. Wolves' Joao Gomes, also flagged by Sky Sports as a target, sits as a secondary option. Two signings. Budget: north of £120m if Casemiro's wages and any transfer fees received for Ugarte (whose future is itself uncertain) are factored in.
January was quiet on purpose. The summer won't be.
