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This summer, the club were very much focused on strengthening midfield and, as Flashscore revealed in May, the objective was to ideally make three new signings in that area.
United achieved that aim with the additions of Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, with the defined transfer focus following the club’s approach from the previous summer.
In 2025, United’s priority was to strengthen their forward line, and they did so by bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.
Now, sources have confirmed to Flashscore that the plan for next year will be to sign at least two elite defenders with a proven ability to cope with the demands of both the Premier League and Champions League.
There will, however, be some dependency on United qualifying for Europe’s elite competition again.
We understand the club will be willing to spend more heavily in the summer of 2027, but the scale of that investment will be dictated by whether United remain in the Champions League.
They are back in the Champions League this season, and it is considered crucial that they remain at that level in order to sign the full-back and centre-back targets they believe can elevate the squad to the next level.
United have previously stated their intention to win the Premier League again by 2028, but that target is now coming under increasing pressure.
The club do believe they are moving in the right direction with their squad rebuild and are being careful about how they recruit, with a clear eye on making sure they do not make missteps.
We reported how United were expected to sign a new left-sided defender this summer so that is going to become an obvious focus in terms of finding a replacement, with Lewis Hall the dream target. Luke Shaw is now aged 31 and his contract expires in June 2027.
Decisions need to be made over Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire, as their contracts also expire - although both have an option for an extra year extension. Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui will both be out of contract in 2028, so early planning around their future will also need consideration.
Early central defensive targets already mentioned for United include Micky van de Ven, Nathan Collins and Edmond Tapsoba.
Dean Jones is a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore, since 2025. He has been a journalist on leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
