Manchester United are reportedly expected to bring in a new midfielder as early as 2026, although the quality of the candidate considered could vary dramatically.
Ruben Amorim was financially backed this summer. United splashed around £216 million ($293.1 million) on five first-team additions. The bulk of that outlay was shovelled towards an entirely new frontline of Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, while Senne Lammens snubbed Aston Villa on Deadline Day to offer a new goalkeeping option.
The teenage Paraguayan fullback Diego León was brought in as a backup option out wide, but the problematic midfield area remained defiantly untouched.
That crucial slice of the pitch will be bolstered by at least one recruit in 2026, Fabrizio Romano claims. United were heavily linked with a move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba this summer only to be scared off by an astronomical asking price of more than £100 million.
The report claims that United’s interest in Baleba persists but casts doubt over the likelihood of the Red Devils going back in for the Seagulls midfielder. Only two other players in football history have ever commanded a nine-digit fee in January—Enzo Fernández to Chelsea in 2023 and Philippe Coutinho’s 2018 switch to Barcelona.
Even if Baleba is off the table at the turn of the year, United have been tipped to go in for a more affordable alternative. The Old Trafford outfit were linked with an approach for Amorim’s former Sporting CP captain Morten Hjulmand over the summer. The 26-year-old Dane has a contract until 2028 but isn’t likely to command anywhere near the sum demanded for Baleba.
However, as Arsenal discovered during their tense negotiations for Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting can be tough negotiators.
United have also been credited with interest in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, but Oliver Glasner proved that he will not lose a player he wants to hold on to during the Marc Guéhi saga.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Expected to Join’—Man Utd Identify Priority Transfer for January.