Manchester United are restricted to two more non-homegrown signings this summer unless they sell current squad members, due to Premier League homegrown player rules. The Red Devils have already brought in four players this window, but further additions are limited by the requirement to include eight homegrown players in their 25-man squad.
Current squad composition
United have signed Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively for big money, while goalkeeper Karl Darlow has been brought in as cover. Youngster Tynan Thompson also joined from Tottenham this week. The club does not need to submit their 25-man squad this month and are planning to sell players before that deadline.
All Premier League clubs must include eight homegrown players in their squad for the coming season. Non-homegrown players can make up the remaining 17 spots, while players aged 21 or under are exempt from that quota. That age threshold means several United players no longer qualify for the Under-21 exemption for the 2026/27 season.
Homegrown and non-homegrown players
Patrick Dorgu now occupies one of the non-homegrown places, while Dan Gore takes up a homegrown slot. Gore featured against Wrexham in Saturday's pre-season fixture but may still be moved on. Likewise, Radek Vitek, also classified as homegrown, is expected to depart.
Alongside Dorgu, the non-homegrown quota currently stands at 15 and features new arrivals Santos and Tielemans. Also included are Lammens, Altay Bayındır, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez, Diogo Dalot, Manuel Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko.
According to Premier League regulations, a homegrown player is defined as one who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period of three entire seasons or 36 months before his 21st birthday. Consequently, winger Amad, who arrived at United as a teenager, qualifies for a homegrown place upon reaching 21.
Potential departures and available spaces
Amad is one of 11 homegrown players aged over 21, alongside Gore, Vitek, Tom Heaton, Karl Darlow, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Dermot Mee and Toby Collyer. However, a number of these individuals may depart before the campaign begins. Vitek, Gore and Collyer appear the most probable exits, with Collyer heading into the final 12 months of his contract after a loan spell at Hull City. Should all three move on, United would retain eight homegrown players while creating two additional spaces for non-homegrown recruits.
The non-homegrown quota could still rise. Bayındır has been linked with a departure following fellow goalkeeper Andre Onana's exit, while United may exclude Ugarte from their 25-man squad after his serious World Cup injury. There is already room for Manu Kone amid speculation surrounding the France midfielder, while new signing Thompson will not count towards any quota as he is under 21. Matters could become more complex should another homegrown player depart, with Rashford amongst those facing an uncertain future. United may be prompted to pursue another homegrown player to fulfil their full allowance of 25 players in their official Premier League squad.
