Manchester United would reportedly be ready to sell Bruno Fernandes to help fund a major spending spree on three new midfielders.
The Red Devils are said to be keen on signing all three of Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, and Adam Wharton, which could cost them as much as £250m.
That’s according to a report from TEAMtalk, who also state that Man Utd could allow two more big names in Marcus Rashford and Casemiro to leave Old Trafford to help balance the books.
Manchester United planning major transfer overhaul – who’s in and who’s out?
Here’s a breakdown of what TEAMtalk are reporting as we could be set to see huge changes to Ruben Amorim’s United squad in the months ahead.
If MUFC get their way, it could be a simple three in, three out situation involving these big names…
OUT – Bruno Fernandes
United’s star player for the last few years, it seems they’d be prepared to take a massive gamble by allowing the Portugal international to move on.
In fairness, Fernandes is not getting any younger and it might be that there won’t be too many more opportunities for the club to cash in on him as he’ll likely have suitors from the Saudi Pro League who could pay a lot of money to then go into United’s transfer kitty.
Fernandes’ current contract expires in 2027, so if they’re not planning to extend that, then summer 2026 could make sense as the right time to let him go, even if some fans surely won’t be too happy about it.
OUT – Marcus Rashford
Currently on loan at Barcelona, it’s hard to imagine Rashford having any future at United after his loss of form in the last couple of years.
The England international now looks like he’s back to his best and enjoying his football again in a Barca shirt, so making this move permanent looks like the most logical outcome for all parties involved.
According to a recent report from Fichajes, Barcelona have the option to sign Rashford permanently for €35m, while United could set an asking price of €40m if he doesn’t end up staying at the Nou Camp, so there’s decent money to be made from his exit as well.
Finally, we could also see Casemiro leaving Old Trafford as he’ll be out of contract at the end of this season.
United have the option to extend that by one more year, but the ageing Brazilian earns huge wages, so it might be wise to simply let him leave on a free, even if he’s shown some signs of improved form under Amorim.
IN – Elliot Anderson
Part of United’s midfield revamp could see them target Nottingham Forest and England star Anderson, who is having a superb season.
TEAMtalk claim he could cost as much as £80m, though our information is that United are confident of signing Anderson for below that, and possibly for a fee in the region of just £60-70m.
IN – Carlos Baleba
Another player still on MUFC’s radar after they showed an interest during the summer is Baleba of Brighton, according to TEAMtalk.
Fabrizio Romano has recently also reported on Baleba to Man United still looking like one to watch after they failed to get him in during the summer
IN – Adam Wharton
The third midfielder on the Red Devils’ list is Crystal Palace man Wharton, according to the report, with Amorim seemingly keen to bring in all three of these top targets in the middle of the park.
That points towards a total rebuild which will surely also cast doubts over the futures of the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte.
Would Man United be stronger after Anderson, Baleba and Wharton deals?
It’s hard to know for sure if United will definitely get all three of these targets as it sounds hugely ambitious, and even if they do, you can never predict for sure how new signings will deliver compared to expectations.
There’s no doubt that Anderson, Baleba and Wharton look like outstanding young talents, who have already shown they can shine in the Premier League.
However, we’ve seen big-name signings flop at Old Trafford in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and building a squad is about more than just putting the best players in a team together and hoping it all clicks.
It’s not clear how all three of these names would fit in the same line up, as Amorim has tended to play a formation similar to a 3-4-3, meaning only two main central midfielders.