After an extremely active transfer window, which saw the arrivals of five new players, Manchester United have no plans of stopping in January.
Money north of £215m has been spent, some on proven quality and some on exciting players, but the team still needs more.
There is a gaping hole in central midfield after an unsuccessful late surge for Carlos Baleba, who remains in the club’s plans for 2026.
However, securing Baleba in the middle of the season in January is pretty much impossible, but Fabrizio Romano says that won’t stop United from adding to their squad in the winter window.
Man Utd’s January transfer window plan
January is generally a quiet window for clubs, unless the club in question is Chelsea or Man City in peril.
However, Ineos showed in the January window last season that they will be proactive in plugging a hole if it’s threatening to derail a season.
Patrick Dorgu arrived last January because Ruben Amorim had no fit left wing-backs, and that six-month acclimatisation period helped him start this season in fine form.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, confirmed that United are intending to repeat that formula in January, because the ‘internal idea’ is to add at least one midfielder in the winter transfer window.
Circumstances beyond their control could even see them add multiple players.
He said: “It wasn’t possible this summer, but Manchester United maintained the idea to do one more signing in the January transfer window.
“Might be more based on the opportunities, injuries, league table, etc. There’s also the situation of Kobbie Mainoo to consider.
“A new midfielder is expected to join Manchester United in 2026. It’s something that Man United will discuss in the next months.”
Utd will target a long-term signing in January
Ineos have earned enough fan credit in the bank for Man Utd fans to remain assured that even if the club makes a signing in January, it will be a part of the long-term plan.
No panic-buying, like the loan deals for Sofyan Amrabat and Wout Weghorst, will be sanctioned under the current regime.
Baleba remains the dream target, but if United sense the opportunity to sign a player in the mold of Dorgu – someone who can contribute immediately but also lock in as a long-term starter – they will go for it.
The January window is more about fine-tuning the squad rather than engineering a large-scale rebuild.
Fortunately, the rebuild is already off to a good start in the summer window, so they can sit back and wait for an unmissable opportunity in January.
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