Manchester United are being linked with a host of potential signings this summer, and the reason behind this shift is their new data-led recruitment approach. The club's expanded shortlists have become a noticeable feature in the first few weeks of the transfer window, with names like Andrey Santos, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, and Sandro Tonali all emerging as targets.
Why the Long List of Targets?
United have been linked with dozens of midfielders this summer, but it goes without saying they won’t sign all of them. When they stepped away from the race to sign Elliot Anderson after Manchester City’s nine-figure bid, they moved on to Mateus Fernandes, who has since joined Tottenham. Now Alex Scott is the leading midfield target, but background checks have been carried out on Felix Nmecha, and United would still love to sign Aurelien Tchouameni.
In the Premier League, Andrey Santos is one player United have looked at, alongside Fulham’s Norwegian international Sander Berge. The names of Championship duo Shea Charles and Hayden Hackney also appeared on the list. It’s a similar story in other positions, with sources suggesting United’s list of options to fill the back-up goalkeeper role is a sizeable one, and Karl Darlow and Sam Johnstone are two players among many under consideration.
Data-Led Recruitment Under Ineos
It feels like a change in approach from United, who have previously alighted on a couple of targets for each position and then worked hard to get one of those over the line, often spending big to secure a priority deal. The reason it now feels like United have a longer list of targets under consideration is that they have become more data-led in recruitment, with the team headed by Michael Sansoni compiling lists of players who fit the brief for each position.
A University of Southampton graduate, Sansoni joined United in April 2025 after more than a decade with the Mercedes F1 team and made an immediate impact. Part of his work in the first window helped convince the club that Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were the right targets. He is now the club’s director of data and AI, and the transformation in the club’s use of data has been one of the biggest success stories of the Ineos regime. Sir Jim Ratcliffe eviscerated United’s work in that area after his investment in the club, but it has improved dramatically.
Impact on Transfer Strategy
Data is now being used to help draw up transfer shortlists, or long lists as they should now probably be called, and that is why it feels like United have more options than usual when it comes to their recruitment this summer. This approach has already yielded results, with the club securing targets like Mbeumo and Cunha in previous windows. The expanded list of options allows United to be more flexible and opportunistic in the market, rather than fixating on a single priority deal.
