Manchester United Transfer Rumours

21 Jun 2026 15:55:22
🚨 Breaking: Manchester United are pushing to sign Kaoru Mitoma from Brighton.
Talks have reportedly begun between the clubs, with United identifying the Japanese international as a priority target. Brighton are expected to demand a significant fee, but sources indicate Mitoma is intrigued by the prospect of a new challenge at Old Trafford.
No agreement yet, but momentum is building. 🔴

21 Jun 2026 17:22:36
Hey, Charles, mate. Are you our ITK? I would like to have our own ITK, just like Liverpool has with Carra, etc.

21 Jun 2026 15:54:48
🚨 Reports emerging from the Midlands that Manchester United have officially approached Wolves regarding Mateus Mane.

An offer believed to be in excess of £35 million has reportedly been discussed between the clubs. While Wolves remain adamant that the young star is a key part of their long-term project, sources close to the player suggest Mane would be open to a move to Old Trafford should negotiations progress.



Nothing has been agreed at this stage, but this is a developing story to keep an eye on. 👀

21 Jun 2026 15:51:45
Reports coming in fresh from North London, Micky Van de Ven has been officially approached by Manchester United. Offers including a 30 million + Luke Shaw have emerged. While Tottenham's transfer director has denied such claims, reports emerge that Van de Ven is open for the move.

19 Jun 2026 21:03:08
Reports from James Cleary that the Fernandes deal has been agreed tonight £70m+ £10m add-ons.

20 Jun 2026 14:53:14
The guy with 200 followers on X? He also said we signed Tonali.

20 Jun 2026 19:09:30
Seems a ridiculous price to me.

He has had 2 seasons in the Premier League and been relegated both times. He may be a very good player, but way overpriced for me. For that price, every kick of the ball will be mentioned along with the price tag.

There must be better value out there.

21 Jun 2026 00:26:41
Dunno, Fallguy. I think 60M + add-ons is value for him. Does 10M more mean it's awful value?
I don't think we can get Wharton, Scott, or any of those others for under 60M either, so that's just what the market is. 70M is high, but it's not ridiculous either.

21 Jun 2026 01:58:59
Would rather we pushed for Tonali.

21 Jun 2026 10:41:54
I think Mateus Fernandes could be a really good signing.

We've been linked with the likes of Baleba, Anderson, and Wharton all of whom have been touted at 80-100m or more in Anderson's case.

To be honest I don't see Fernandes as lesser of a player than any of them (Anderson obviously right now is a level above, but I think Fernandes can get to his level, he is 2 years younger and on a similar trajectory).

The price may seem a little steep, but that's the cost of players these days. If you want an average top half EPL midfielder then you're paying at least 50m. We paid around that for Ugarte. If you want either a top class or a player with top level potential then you're looking at 60-70m at a minimum.

Add to that teams know we need to buy midfielders this summer, then they will always push for as much as they can get from us.

West Ham's valuation of 80m seems excessive as they are a relegated club (I don't think many fans would quibble over 80m if they stayed up and Spurs went down), but let's get real, whether the club have been relegated or not that doesn't change the quality of the player.

There have been loads of really top level players signed from relegated, even players who have gone on to win the league and arguably be some of the best players in the league in their position. You get relegated as a team. If prime Messi played for Burnley last season he wouldn't have kept them up, but that wouldn't make Messi a bad player.

To be honest the only thing I've seen from Mateus Fernandes that makes me slightly question him as a potential signing is that he does seem to have a slight petulant steak not too dissimilar from his namesake Bruno. That tendency to throw his hands up in the air when things don't go his way, rather than get his head down and chase after the ball.

However, that hasn't stopped Bruno from being the best player in the league, and given that Mateus has named Bruno as one of his idols and Bruno has in recent seasons toned down that sort of behaviour; then I can't think of a better player than Bruno to help Mateus learn to limit that behaviour, and maybe even get it out of his game all together.

What I find most interesting about this potential signing is actually that is seems to further highlight the type of players we seem to be targeting.

Initially Baleba seemed to be the big target, a proper No.6, a specialist holding midfielder who'll protect the back four and add some defensive physicality in midfield. Yet we seem to have cooled a lot on him, maybe that's the price Brighton are demanding, maybe it's his drop in form this season, but I think it's more a change in direction in the kind of players we seem to want in midfield.

We seem to be moving away from more rigid "specialist" midfielders who you could categorise as a "holding midfielder" or a "deep lying playmaker", and we seems to be looking at more well rounded complete players with good technical ability and tactical understanding.

All of Ederson, Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Tonali, Scott, and even Mamadou Sangare (who we've been linked with this week) are more energetic, hard working, but technically gifted No.8's, all round box to box players.

Mainoo is another who you'd describe as more of an all round box to box midfielder (although he might lack a little in intensity that the others have).

With Mainoo already at the club and with Ederson all but wrapped up, you'd think they would want to focus on someone who's more of a natural defensive shield, or even a player in the mould of our manager, that passing metronome who can control the tempo of the game with their passing.

Yet that doesn't seem to be the case, Baleba who we seem to have gone cold on and Tchouameni (who seems like it's more of a passing interest) are the only specialists holding type midfielders we have been linked with, and it seems more likely that we'll sign at least one of not two of Fernandes, Scott, or Sangare, or maybe someone else but in a similar mould.

It looks like we will start next season with 3 or 4 midfielders who are not specialists, but technically strong, physically capable, all round box to box midfielders.

Which personally I find really interesting from a tactical perspective.

To me that suggests that we will look to our defence to be the passing/tempo controlling players, probably with one full back looking to invert to give us a little more protection in front of the back line, giving the midfield the freedom to play more box to box and progress the ball (probably with more carries than line splitting passes). That might also explain our interest in Lewis Hall, and Myles Lewis-Skelly as possible LB options, as both like to invert as they started their careers as midfielders.

Personally I really like that tactical idea, it seems really on the pulse of how the game is tactically evolving right now. With more teams looking to defend man to man, meaning there is more emphasis on players being able to compete physically, but also looking to carry the ball forward to break lines and get the overload and outnumber your opposition, as passing is harder with all your players being man marked, and you still don't have a numbers advantage.

18 Jun 2026 10:36:51
Eds, is it true that Man United are interested in Khephren Thuram?

{Ed001's Note - yes.}

18 Jun 2026 13:12:56
Is he any good ED001?

{Ed001's Note - I haven't seen him play in a while, looked decent before, though reminds me a lot of Gravenberch - good on the dribble but not so good at passing the ball.}

18 Jun 2026 18:39:04
Not good enough to help bridge the gap to City and Arsenal.

19 Jun 2026 08:34:29
Can you please provide a general summary of our targets?

{Ed001's Note - I don't really do that mate, that was Ed2's thing as he had access to a database, whereas I only have what is in my head. It normally takes something to jog my mind to remember about it, I usually have forgotten what I have been told by the time I go to tell anyone until something reminds me. I wish I had access to his database.}

19 Jun 2026 12:45:25
Ed001, i want to remind you that you have informations about Summerville :)
Jokes aside, do you know about interest in him? And do you rate him as a player?

{Ed001's Note - I have not heard anything much about him, other than what has been on the Leeds page and West Ham page. He is not one I have heard anything regarding a move, other than him wanting a move and West Ham looking to get some money back from his sale.

He is a bit inconsistent for my liking. In fact that is overselling him, as he has had one good run of games and nothing else remotely close. There is a lot of talent there, but he struggles to impose himself on games.}

19 Jun 2026 20:50:48
Thanks Ed001, talent wise i think he is very good and maybe with better coaching will reach the next level, hopefully

{Ed001's Note - that is what he needs, as he showed a major improvement this season when he was being well coached.}

20 Jun 2026 12:43:56
I don't understand the Summerville link. He's ok, but not shown to be good enough for this move. I would play Dorgu over him at LW.

If you ask me, we should reintegrate Rashford, sell Zirkzee, have Rash, Dorgu and Cunha on the left, with Rashford also an option up front, and then buy Lewis Hall. That sorts the left side.



It even puts you in a stronger position for a Rashford sale, as you have a plan to use him.

We should be looking at Hall, not Summerville, and if West Ham really wants 80m for Fernandes, he has to move on. That's crazy. Try Scott, and there have been whispers about Tchouameni being available.

20 Jun 2026 13:25:52
There is no way back for Rashford. His bridges are burnt. Ambling around the pitch, making no effort, it's hard to come back from that. And, of course, he wants to leave.

20 Jun 2026 15:11:07
The whole team was ambling round the pitch. He also played 18 months without a left back behind him, and everyone still expected him to run through entire teams down the left alone.

Rashford had some problems, on and off the pitch, but the club also didn't support him on and off the pitch.

There has to be a way back, because at the minute teams won't pay the fee and the wages, plus he helps with home grown for Champions League.

20 Jun 2026 15:31:39
Mate, I was always his biggest fan, but even I gave up on him. He has said nothing to suggest he is interested in staying, or that his attitude needed some work, so he is off.

He stood out as being uninterested. No other player was putting so little effort in.

And I think we will have no trouble selling him, particularly if he does well at the World Cup.

12 Jun 2026 17:38:37
Have read a report that have held ''concrete talks'' with the representatives of Castello Lukeba (centre back at RB Leipzig). Very good player, wouldn't mind seeing him at OT.

My concern though is what are we doing talking to them about concrete? Are they going to lay the foundations for the new stadium?

Certainly a good place.

13 Jun 2026 14:39:04
Chemicals business isn't doing that well, nor are those big vehicles, but the guy who's in the concrete business who lives on the water in my town is clearly making a bundle. However, with the world running out of sand not sure that that boat hasn't sailed.

15 Jun 2026 12:36:46
A very promising player from what I've seen. Can also play at LB, which is a bonus, although I would prefer to see a dedicated fullback in that position.

15 Jun 2026 15:35:04
Better cement him in.

18 Jun 2026 19:16:06
Zero foundation to this rumour.

08 Jun 2026 14:42:14
Reports that Bayern are interested in rashford and happy to pay the fee. Wages are a problem though. If I'm rashford I'm all over it, great club, league that will suit him and top level European competition. Barcelona have shown they don't value him as much as he does them so if they don't pony up then this would be a great move for all parties.

08 Jun 2026 16:52:28
Apparently, Rashford was willing to reduce his wages at Barca. I'm sure he would do the same for Bayern.

09 Jun 2026 07:21:25
I think he would do well at Bayern. Very poor league. Lots of good players excel in that league.
Tough team to get into, but im not sure that bothers him too much. If Olise goes to Madrid, it would help.
Hopefully, he thinks it's a good move for him if it materialises.

09 Jun 2026 08:55:24
It's not as strong a league, undoubtedly, but Bayern are a top side and a much better side than we are currently.

I'm still amazed he can't be re-integrated. He's had a great season at Barca under one of the best coaches in the world, he was picked by another one for the England World Cup squad, and, frankly, has a great chance of starting all England's matches. Now Bayern are waiting in the wings in case Barca don't trigger their option to buy (which I still think they will).

If he's largely overcome his demons, or it certainly feels like he is, then he should come and play for us.

We need a player like him in the squad. He'd add pace, directness and goals.

The biggest issue we've created ourselves is not the cultural re/integration, but the fat wages we've put him on, which are way above anybody else in the squad, and the wage structure that INEOS are putting in place. This has nothing to do with the player or his personality, it's all purely financially driven.

He's had his wobble, lost his head for sure, but he's human. Cut these lads some slack.

09 Jun 2026 09:21:02
Think Bayern see him as a multi position player along their front line. Cover on the left, backup to Kane etc. They had Nico Jackson last year, but he's gone back to Chelsea now. Makes sense, so hope there's truth to it.

09 Jun 2026 10:16:23
@Eric79, He had a decent season, I wouldn't say great. There's something wrong, we haven't got all the information, but the fact Barca passed him up and Emery didn't want him suggests there's an issue. There's anecdotal info from previous managers that our dressing room was toxic, with massive player power.

Rashford had the most power at the club at the time. The fact the club want him gone kind of backs this up. He's undoubtedly talented; there's just something coaches don't like.

09 Jun 2026 13:00:49
Has to be, I guess, Rewz, otherwise the club would just bring him back. I do think we've backed ourselves into yet another corner with his current contract, though.

09 Jun 2026 14:03:21
Rewz, where did you get that info from? You go on to say we haven't got all the information, but then say that Barca passed him up and Emery didn't want him. 😂

09 Jun 2026 14:20:27
@angelred, Emery didn't trigger the £40m purchase option and Barce didn't trigger the £26M option.

09 Jun 2026 15:09:07
Rewz,

Villa had PSR issues as well. Rashfords fee and wages were a major issue. Had they finished in the CL, it may have gone through.

I think it was ED001 who said at the end of last season, thst Villa might have to sell Rogers to ease PSR issues. I might be wrong.

09 Jun 2026 17:25:45
Until we get an offer, I suppose we can assume nobody else wants him and his massive wages.
I think Bayern would be a great move for him. Big club, winning and competing for big trophies. They need cover for their starters, and good subs are hard to find.

I think he represents good value at 26m, but again it's reported they have an issue with his current wages; nobody wants to be paying that sort of wage for a squad player.
That league is weak, and Bayern boss it, so it would be nice and easy for him.

11 Jun 2026 15:46:09
Sub. Lol... I think Bayern want him as Olisse replacement if he Madrid pound and plus have 100 million in the bank... not bad business...
Barca just trying it on. They will probably take him in the end.

11 Jun 2026 16:57:02
We'll just have to wait and see. No offers for him yet. Not sure Bayern will sell Olisse. Rashford does not like playing on the right side, but he would be great cover for Diaz on the opposite side.
Hopefully, someone comes up with an offer to buy him.

But his wages are very high, and he wouldn't command a 1st 11 spot in most of the
Top sides, so it's a lot of wages for a squad player, imo. The fee is low, but the overall cost for what he offers is unattractive for most clubs.

12 Jun 2026 10:36:32
By all accounts and what I've seen, Rashford did well at Barca last season. Pretty surprised no-one has snapped our hands off for a player reportedly available for under £30m. Obviously the wage is a concern, or something is.

Even more surprised Barca chose to spend well over double on speed merchant Gordon, whose sole aim is to get to the penalty area at 100mph and try to win a penalty. Sorry, never seen the hype. Maybe it'll be his World Cup and I'll eat my words.

12 Jun 2026 12:50:45
Spenno, on the face of it, the fee of 26m is great value, imo.
However, his wages are completely prohibitive.
The overall cost of signing him is horrendous.
He started less than half of Barcelona's games, so nobody wants to pay a rotation player that much. Every 1st 11 player will have their hand out looking for parity.
If he takes lower wages, then he would be good value, but he probably needs to offer a 30/40% drop in wages.
Bayern are one club who need good cover for their front 3, and he would probably get good game time, they're covering for their preferred front 3.
Barcelona will come back in offering a loan last minute.com, but maybe not.


Villa had a look, didn't buy him. Barca had a look, won't buy him. Why? Finances are 1 reason, no doubt, but there must be other reasons.
Gordon speaks better Spanish than him already.
He, imo, appears to have put in the absolute minimum effort to integrate himself into the culture/language, etc.
I saw nothing in any of his actions that screamed to Barca that they must sign him.
He will do ok wherever he goes, as he does have good attributes, but he does need to work harder to convince people he is worth the money, imo.

12 Jun 2026 14:06:09
Not sure how you say wages are a stumbling block. Haven't Madrid just signed Konate on 400k per week? He is not exactly a great CB.

Yes, his wages are high, but anything under 30 million for his quality is a bargain in today's world.

Clearly, there were issues at United for him.

Was that RA, or was it his private life? Who knows, but I'm not sure the wages and purchase price are much of a problem.

Seems many just don't like him, and that's fine, maybe you have your reasons, but if you look at it non-biased, he is better than what we have in that position.

12 Jun 2026 16:33:07
It's been 3 years since he scored the amount Cunha did last season for us, so I'm not sure about that.
Barcelona thought his wages were a problem.
Bayern say they are a problem. Villa thought the same.
If he is a rotation player, the wages are too high for most clubs. If he is a nailed-on starter, then you'd argue that's what many regular starters earn, but he's not been, and I don't think, if push comes to shove, he would be a starter for Bayern ahead of Diaz, Kane or Olisse.

Great option for them as cover imo. I think he would do great in that league, it's pretty poor, and we've seen others excel there like Sancho, Bellingham, Kagawa, Miki, etc. They looked like world beaters in that league.

12 Jun 2026 18:47:21
Problem with your post that you barrack others for is posting hearsay as factual. You have no idea, in reality, that Barcelona, Villa or Bayern have baulked at the wages, or even know what he is wanting. You're just going on hearsay.

I would say no one on here knows what wages he is looking for, or if he has lower demands or higher; it's all hearsay. You can’t go telling others not to post as factual something that’s not known, then go do the same yourself. Just saying.

13 Jun 2026 00:42:02
You're right, I don't know, but it's reported by most reputable journalists that this is the case.
It was reported that he did reduce his wage demands for Barcelona, but they chose to sign Gordon, who has been much better over the last 3 seasons. He has his contract with United; it's up to him to decide if he wants to stay or leave and earn less.
There's lots we don't know for sure about many things, but when something is being said by most top reporters and news outlets, there's often some truth in it.
The drain of 1.2m per month on cash flow for one player is not something most clubs can justify for a player who has been as up and down as Rashford.
I'm sure he would do well at Bayern or most teams he would go to, but his wages are a problem for most clubs. There can only be fewer than a dozen who earn more in the EPL.


You don't know that Konate is getting 400k a week, but that's been reported, I'm sure. But even if he was, it's cheaper than buying Rashford and maintaining his wages.
Do Arsenal, Villa, or Chelsea want to make him their highest-paid player? He would be in the top 5 earners at Barcelona if they had to maintain it.
If he seeks compensation from United in order to offset his wage reduction, then we lose some of the 26m fee to pay him off.
He shouldn't lose out financially too badly either way. United refused to pay Maguire that compensation, so he refused to move; I think it was to West Ham, I can't remember.
Maintaining his wage, or even 60% of it, is a huge problem for most clubs, and those that can afford it have better players.
Clubs are in a tough spot on it really.

04 Jun 2026 13:27:17
Bit of an old school one was talking to a colleague of mine in the North East this morning and he says that United have conceded they won't get Tonali and Hall from Newcastle this summer and will look to focus on Hall with other midfield options being focused on from elsewhere.
Not sure if this guy is itk but thought I'd share.

04 Jun 2026 17:01:35
Hopefully we get a summer of these rumours, surely it's what this page is about.
It would make sense for Newcastle to not want both to go to the same club, and I can see them prioritising Hall, with Tonali's price and other options making him less likely.

04 Jun 2026 22:07:16
Seems Newcastle are backing Howe. And, according to reports, the relationship between Hall and Howe is not a good one, so it makes sense they may want to cash in. If that's the case, I hope we do our due diligence on him, as we've had enough dressing room issues over the last few years!

07 Jun 2026 10:37:41
I know Newcastle needs to balance the books a little, but they've already sold Gordon for around £70m already, that's on top of losing Isak last year.

They have ambitious owners who won't want to be seen to be losing all the momentum they have built already.

Surely they will only let one more big name established player leave this summer at most.

So it'll come down to who they feel is most expendable or who is easiest (maybe cheapest) to replace.

If that is the case I'd imagine they'd be more open to letting Lewis Hall leave over Tonali.

Top midfielders are harder to come by and are typically far more expensive than fullbacks. Also Howe has often rotated Hall with Dan Burn at LB, partially due to Hall having a few more issues with injuries, but also for tactical reasons. Also there are rumours that the relationship between Hall and Howe is not the best.

Personally I'd be happy with either of Hall or Tonali, although I have a mild concern over Hall's injury record, but probably not enough to feel that he would be a bad or risky signing. I'm a massive fan of Tonali and think he'd be a phenomenal signing (even at the 90m rumoured that Newcastle would demand). I feel he is massively underrated, partially due to how Newcastle play. He's a tenacious warrior off the ball who covers every blade of grass, has great experience, shows leadership on the pitch, and is far more technically gifted than most people realise (due to Newcastle's playing style), while he's also very intelligent and can adapt to many different tactical demands or playing styles. However, he's very similar to Ederson who we have just signed for around half of what Newcastle are demanding for Tonali. With that signing all but sealed now I would imagine we'd want to sign another midfielder with a slightly different profile now rather than one with a very similar one.

Personally I feel we need a proper holding (sitting) midfielder next, someone who'll be the central hub and knit the whole team together. Ideally they would be tall, good in the air, have elite reading of the game, be press resistant, and have a great passing range. Effectively they would be a Carrick 2.0. I've seen Mainoo being asked to play that role more under Carrick and while I think he has most of the tools to play that role (he'll need to work on his passing range, but will probably never become dominant aerially), I'm not sure if it's the most natural role for him.
He's very press resistant, and great at dropping deep to take the ball off the CB's, and he's fantastic at carrying the ball forward and using his dribbling ability in tight spaces to break lines of pressure. His passing over short and medium distances is great, but over longer distances it can be a little hit and miss (partially I think because he isn't looking that far ahead so misses the opportunities to hit early longer balls in behind the opposition). However, personally I feel he is best suited to playing more as a free 8. Given the freedom to drop in and help out where we need him, but also able to get forward and be that late arriving midfielder into the box to make the most of his excellent shooting.

I think while Mainoo can do a good job as a No.6 (as long as he has someone more athletic and aggressive alongside him), it probably doesn't get the most out of him.

Add to that we will have Ederson, Mount and probably Ugarte as the other options currently, I feel that a natural No.6 type holding midfielder is what we need most, which isn't Tonali's best role (although like Mainoo he can play this role if needed). Ederson in my opinion is everything we hoped Ugarte would be and as such he'd be a great replacement if we can move Ugarte on this summer.

I'm intrigued by the links to Mateus Fernandes, another player I really rate. He's another all round midfielder who can play many different roles and is tactically intelligent enough to do well in any of them. He'd be a good replacement for Mount. Alex Scott would be another great shout for this role.

Yet it is a natural No.6 that is still missing, a role that has at times been most effectively covered by Casemiro (although he's been excellent this season when he's been able to get further forward).

Tchouameni would be the dream signing, Baleba would be a solid signing with great potential, other options that fit the role could be: Angelo Stiller, Tyler Adams, Eduardo Camavinga, Reuben Neves, Boubacar Kamara, James Garner, Lucien Agoume, Lamine Camara, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Pablo Barrios, or Mamadou Sangare.

Some have great potential, others would be really solid options. Personally, unless you can get a generational talent in this role then I'm not sure it's worth spending a huge amount here. Mostly because while I think it's a vital profile our squad needs, it's not a profile we need in every single game and maybe not even for the whole 90 minutes in games either. It's a role we need in the big games and the tough away games, but probably not at home against mid-table or bottom half sides.

We need this player in games where we won't dominate possession and will need to be able to defend as much as we attack.

07 Jun 2026 13:20:41
Shappy,

Stiller reminds me of Carrick. He would be a good alternative and cheaper than Tonali. I know Baleba has had a good season, but I really rate him. I think he would be a great signing for around £50 million.

07 Jun 2026 20:13:20
It feels like Baleba remains of interest, and it doesn't look like he's high up on anyone else's shopping list. Maybe that should be a concern, especially if Brighton are still demanding elite money. He did improve towards the end of the season (wonder why?), but was pretty average otherwise compared to last season.

08 Jun 2026 10:11:44
I was meant to put: hasn't had a good season.

03 Jun 2026 16:50:22
I see a few outlets are linking us to Mika Godts, the Ajax left winger. The lad is 20, left-footed, scored 17 in 44 with 15 assists. I know it means nothing, but he's touted as Hazard 2.0.

Anyone heard anything solid about us looking at him?

04 Jun 2026 11:53:58
None whatsoever, but it would be nice to get a left field signing like this, and then see it work out superbly. We were able to do it much more often before.

Also, based on the rumours coming out, it looks like the club is keen on strengthening the left more than the right.

We are being linked with LWs (does this mean Dorgu will play LB, or maybe Cunha challenges Bruno for the 10) and also Hall, who I'd really like to get.

04 Jun 2026 17:14:42
Sounds like Memphis Depay part II.

07 Jun 2026 09:17:26
Memphis was/is a good player. Let him go far too soon.

07 Jun 2026 10:50:54
He looks a real talent, but personally he looks undercooked for a move to a big club in a top league.

The step up from being the best player for a really poor Ajax side, playing in the fairly weak Eredivisie, to a team at the top of the EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga or La Liga is absolutely massive.

In my opinion, he needs a year or two at a good mid-level club in one of those leagues or in Ligue 1, or possibly a top club in Portugal. I could see him doing really well at a club like Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund or RB Leipzig, as forwards tend to get a lot more space in the Bundesliga, then after a couple of years there get a big move to a European giant.

As others have mentioned, it could be a little bit like Memphis Depay moving to us too soon in his career, and the pressure and expectations, along with the step up in competition, being a bit too much for him.

I fully believe, for example, that if Depay had moved to a club like Dortmund before joining us then he'd have had a much more successful career. As he'd have been able to continue to develop and play more regularly at a younger age, without that unrealistic pressure you get at a club like ours. Then he'd have been more mature, and more developed, when making that move to a massive club, and he'd have been ready for that step up.

Mika Godts is in that same category for me, phenomenal talent at that level and far too good for that level, but is nowhere near ready for the truly elite level. Playing for Ajax in the Eredivisie would be like Wolves or West Ham playing in League 1 with their current squads.

02 Jun 2026 22:25:37
Ornstein and Romano now reporting that we’ve a deal in place for Ederson. First of a few quality additions I hope.

03 Jun 2026 14:53:45
I think the scouting department has done a good job here. He's had 40+ games in each of his seasons at Atalanta. They play at a high tempo too, so he's going to be well suited to the Premier League.

03 Jun 2026 16:00:49
He also looks to be a big strong lad, so should be able to cope with the physicality.

04 Jun 2026 00:52:23
Very curious to hear from those who know the players more closely, and can talk tactics.

Which combination of players linked would make the best combo, either with Mainoo, or 2 new players, one of those likely to be Ederson?

07 Jun 2026 11:07:37
I think he's potentially a really good signing. He's a similar player to Sandro Tonali, tactically intelligent, extremely hardworking, technically very good, and is tenacious off the ball.

He plays best as an all-action, box-to-box player, someone who can hunt the ball down and fill in gaps, as well as get forward and score a few goals.

Since Carrick came in, he changed how our midfield has been set up. He's pushed Bruno back further forward, and he changed Casemiro's role from being the sitting midfielder to being a more box-to-box role that allowed him to get further forward and score a few goals, but also allowed him the freedom to win the ball back further up. He then brought Mainoo into the team, but played him more as the holding No.6 who'd drop deep and take the ball off the CBs, and use his press resistance to allow us to play out from the back more successfully.

If he continues to use Mainoo in the same role, then Ederson would be a good replacement for how Casemiro has played under Carrick as that all-action, box-to-box midfielder.

He probably won't score as many headers as Casemiro did, but he's quicker and more mobile across the ground.

Personally, I think the next midfield signing should be a natural No.6-type holding midfielder, as Mainoo has done well there, but I don't feel like he's a natural fit for the role and that it limits some of his best assets (getting into the box and shooting, as well as intricate play around the opposition box to open up chances).

We still don't have that natural sit-deep, shield-the-defence, and control-the-tempo type midfielder similar to a prime Michael Carrick in our squad, and we could do with that sort of profile of player. They are invaluable against the biggest clubs and in tough away games in Europe.