Manchester United must sign midfield options this summer and Ruben Amorim may have been gifted a chance to land a defensive powerhouse.
Manchester United fans are going through a difficult season to say the very least.
There really hasn’t been much to shout about for United fans this season and the summer can’t come soon enough.
Major reinforcements will be required all over the pitch and attackers may well be the focus with United keen on Matheus Cunha.
United’s finances are a problem but Ruben Amorim needs to churn this squad – or he will go the same way as managers before him.
New midfielders are needed too with Amorim potentially ready to revolutionise his engine room ahead of next season.
- READ: Confirmed Manchester United transfer deals for January 2025, ins, outs, loan moves, deadline date

Manchester United given chance to sign Bayern Munich star
Casemiro will surely be on the move this summer whilst Christian Eriksen will leave United at the end of his contract.
Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are promising players but United need more depth in the middle of the park if both Casemiro and Eriksen go.
A defensively-strong midfielder should be on Amorim’s wish list and one of his former players may now be available.
Sport Bild report that Bayern Munich may already be willing to sell midfielder Joao Palhinha to raise funds this summer.
Bayern only signed Palhinha from Fulham last summer having chased the Portugal international for at least a year.
Palhinha has only started three Bundesliga games and two Champions League games this season though and appears to be an odd man out under Vincent Kompany.
The 29-year-old won’t want to be stuck on the bench at Bayern and United should be on red alert given his potential availability.
United wanted to sign Palhinha last summer but ended up seeing him join Bayern in a deal worth £47million according to The Telegraph.
Palhinha even wanted to join United in 2023 amid admiration from Old Trafford, so he has clearly been on the radar for a while now.
Signing Palhinha would fly in the face of United’s attempts to sign young stars under Ineos and would require a break from the strategy.
United do need some proven, experienced players to go alongside the youthful exuberance in order to really make progress.
Palhinha’s proven Premier League brilliance makes him a player worth making an exception for and Bayern’s desire to raise funds may mean that United can get him even cheaper than he would have been a year ago.
Palhinha still has plenty left in the tank too and signing him to replace Casemiro is something United should at least explore – especially with Amorim in charge.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 13 | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 30 | |
| 14 | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 31 | -4 | 30 | |
| 15 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 35 | -7 | 29 | |
| 16 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 29 | 47 | -18 | 27 | |
| 17 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 35 | 54 | -19 | 19 |
Ruben Amorim could reunite with Joao Palhinha
Amorim has history with Palhinha having coached him at Sporting.
Palhinha played 87 times under Amorim, notching seven goals before being sold to Fulham in 2022.
Palhinha really took another step forward under Amorim and that development set him up perfectly for Premier League success.
Speaking in November, Palhinha raved about Amorim and admitted having ‘a lot of affection’ for the United boss.
If Amorim came calling for Palhinha’s signature, the Bayern star would surely fancy a reunion at Old Trafford.
Ineos may need to budge a little in terms of the age profile, but Palhinha’s defensive excellence is just too strong to ignore.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
