Manchester United’s planned midfield overhaul hasn’t quite gone as Ineos would have been dreaming so far this summer.
One week away from pre-season kicking off, Manchester United are without a confirmed signing, which is concerning given how huge this summer had been billed as.
Technically, United have agreed to sign Ederson from Atalanta, which is little consolation to fans who have seen Tottenham Hotspur sign two top targets in the space of a few days.
Spurs have paid £85m for Mateus Fernandes and are also set to sign Sandro Tonali for £100m, which is the kind of money United fans anticipated would be spent this summer at Old Trafford.
But United have something Spurs don’t, a marquee midfielder who has already signed for the club this year, named Kobbie Mainoo.
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Kobbie Mainoo is Manchester United’s marquee midfielder
It is fair to say that this summer, Spurs have absolutely panicked after another relegation battle and decided to throw everything at this summer.
But United don’t need to do that, overspending and signing players driven by money isn’t how a successful club is run. This is especially when United don’t need a marquee midfielder, with Kobbie Mainoo having that position.
Mainoo signed a new deal with United just before the end of the 2025/26 season, and this places him as the focal point of midfield for the next decade.
Having Mainoo for the 2026/27 campaign is like a signing, considering how close United were to losing him.
He is the face of the club, and United don’t really need to be spending £100m on midfielders who aren’t really going to help him to become his best.
No player United could have signed this summer would dislodge Mainoo from the starting line-up, and so the real need isn’t to spend the most money, but to find the players who suit Mainoo and can play with him, and also rotate from time to time.
It sounds like a simple job for Ineos, and it also means they don’t have to be running around trying to tick the marquee box or spend needlessly to appease pockets of the fanbase.
Mainoo is the star, and he would be regardless, so £85m and £100m on players who aren’t better than him and probably don’t complement him well doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
By having such an incredible footballer in midfield already, Ineos’ job this summer should be so easy.
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Manchester United’s midfield rebuild doesn’t have to break the bank
With every passing day, it seems like United’s remaining targets are getting more expensive. But there is still plenty of value left in the market to build a strong group.
Mainoo’s main strengths are in his passing and ball carrying, which means his partner needs to be a player who wins a lot of possession.
Ederson ticks this box in abundance, ranking highly for duels won but also progressive passes and ball carrying, making him potentially the player who will rotate more with Mainoo during busy schedules.
But in terms of a partner for Mainoo, the standout option is Mamadou Sangare of Lens, who is one of the best ball winners and duel winners in Europe right now, while still being quality on the ball, and raises the physical floor of the midfield a lot.
For these two combined, United would be looking at £67m, with Sangare priced at £33m and Ederson costing £34m.
Then, as the Manuel Ugarte replacement, Joao Gomes has once again become available after his move to Atletico Madrid fell through.
Gomes would offer the profile of Ugarte, who has proven in the Premier League and also has quality on the ball.
- Mamadou Sangare – £33m
- Ederson – £34.5m
- Joao Gomes – £35m
All in all, this is a £100m midfield rebuild potentially, which adds depth, well-rounded quality, and pairings, and then leaves the door open for further additions or the academy to provide some options.
Sangare in particular could be a really good move, as he looks likely to be worth so much more than £33m if his development continues at pace.
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