Manchester United return to pre-season training on Thursday with head coach Michael Carrick expressing optimism about the new campaign. In the club's yearbook, Carrick wrote: "We know we’ve got what it takes to beat the best teams in this league. Now it’s about doing that over a full Premier League campaign, while also fighting for every trophy available to us."
However, Carrick acknowledges that new additions are needed, with the top priority being a replacement for Casemiro, who left the club this summer. While Atalanta's Ederson is set to join once his medical is completed, he is not seen as a direct replacement for the Brazilian.
Failed Pursuits and Price Tags
Originally, Elliot Anderson was earmarked to fill Casemiro's role, but Nottingham Forest's £116m price tag was deemed too high. Mateus Fernandes was then considered a more realistic target after West Ham's relegation, but United balked at the Irons' £85m asking price. Tottenham stepped in and agreed to meet West Ham's demands, leaving United to move on to Plan C.
Current Targets: Tchouameni and Scott
Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni and Bournemouth's Alex Scott are now on United's radar. While the pursuit of Tchouameni is cautious as United try to gauge Real's willingness to sell, Scott seems more attainable. Bournemouth value the England international at £80m, and having qualified for the Europa League, they are in no rush to lower the price.
United face competition from Arsenal and Manchester City, who were previously interested in Sandro Tonali before he joined Tottenham. The problem for United is that they are being too principled in negotiations, refusing to meet inflated asking prices while rivals are willing to pay up.
Risk of Missing Out
Ineos, United's ownership, have aimed to find value in the market after years of criticism for overspending. However, at every turn so far, they have been outbid. Both City and Spurs have agreed to pay big sums for players United refused to match. If this trend continues, United may struggle to secure a quality central midfielder.
United's dream scenario would be to find a midfielder like Bryan Mbeumo or Matheus Cunha, who only want to join the Reds, allowing stricter negotiations. But such players are rare. At some point, United may need to bend their principles or risk missing out on yet more targets in the search for a bargain.
