Man United’s masterplan for dream summer window that could ignite title charge | OneFootball

Manchester United undoubtedly enjoyed a superb 2025/26 season, which saw the club finish in third place and secure Champions League football after a two-year absence.

Michael Carrick deserves the bulk of the credit for the dramatic recovery, which led to his permanent appointment after months of uncertainty. But the hard work truly begins now, and the upcoming window may be the most important one in years.

United now have a real chance to kick on and reduce the deficit to their rivals. The departure of Pep Guardiola, along with the turmoil engulfing the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, offers the club an opportune moment to mount a meaningful title challenge after years in the wilderness. Yet much of this rests on the immediate impact of the players secured during the summer window.

In the 2026 Transfer Series, each writer at The Peoples Person is choosing their top ten transfers for this summer and explaining why each is important. These are Derick’s picks.

Outgoings

Andre Onana

This is a relatively straightforward case. With Senne Lammens now firmly established as the clear number one following a fairytale debut campaign in England, there appears to be no room in the squad for Onana.

He has had a mixed spell out on loan at Trabzonspor, and the Turkish giants have expressed a willingness to retain him. The Cameroonian is believed to be keen on a return to United, where he plans to battle it out with Lammens, but whether he actually gets the chance to do so is another matter altogether.

Onana’s error-strewn outings since his move from Inter Milan had been a recurring source of frustration for the United faithful. When you combine that with the substantial wages he is poised to command now that Champions League football has been secured, there is understandably little appetite for the relationship to continue. A parting of ways would be the best outcome for all concerned parties, whether on another loan or permanently.

Manuel Ugarte

Another player who simply hasn’t come close to justifying his price tag. He struggled to nail down a regular starting berth under Ruben Amorim – a manager who knew him very well from their time working together at Sporting CP. This trend has carried on since Carrick arrived at the start of the year.

The Uruguayan’s shortcomings in possession have rendered him surplus to requirements. With United planning to bring in up to three new midfielders, there is a genuine chance that he could find himself at the bottom of the pecking order.

By his own admission, his attention has drifted from United for some time, fixed instead on Uruguay’s participation in the World Cup. In light of this, United ought to cash in immediately and relieve themselves of his presence.

Joshua Zirkzee

His talent is undeniable, yet he has only managed to show glimpses of it at Old Trafford. On his day, he is nearly unplayable, but those days are few and far too spread apart.

The Dutchman continues to look like he is adjusting to the rigours of English football, a concern when you consider just how smoothly Benjamin Sesko has integrated and usurped him in the ranks.

There is genuine interest in Zirkzee from Italy, and he is one player from whom United can hope to generate a decent sum. Those funds could then be reinvested in a striker more suited to the club and the levels they aspire to reach.

Marcus Rashford

Like Zirkzee, Rashford is another player United could cash in on significantly by letting go.

Having enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with Barcelona, it looked a certainty at one point during the 2025/26 season that he would join the Blaugrana permanently. However, the Catalan giants appear to be hesitating as they try to drive the price down and perhaps secure another season-long loan.

The chances of him staying at Barca have been placed in further jeopardy by the club’s imminent signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle. United have made it clear there is no room for fresh discussions, which means there is a chance that Rashford may be welcomed back to his boyhood club.

Luckily for United, Rashford performed so well in Spain that there is likely to be an extensive list of suitors lining up to take him. If a bidding war is sparked, United may very well rake in upwards of the £26m that Barcelona are required to pay.

The fractured relationship between Rashford and United further suggests that there is little prospect of him continuing under Carrick. That chapter has been closed, and it should remain so for the good of both parties.

Altay Bayindir

When presented with an opportunity to stake his claim in the team at the beginning of the season, he did not take it. To make matters worse, his performances were such that they prompted United to launch a late pursuit in the transfer market for Lammens.

He came close to departing in January, with Beşiktaş having launched a formal move, but United rejected the advances as they were reluctant to leave themselves undermanned in the goalkeeping department.

United are expected to be more open to his exit this time around and a return to Turkey has been heavily touted. He himself is said to be desperate for more game time, so it makes sense to let him go and either bring in a replacement or promote someone from the academy.

Incomings

Elliot Anderson

In my opinion, United ought to be moving mountains to get this deal done. He is the clear priority target, and the situation carries an unmistakable resemblance to the Declan Rice saga.

An all-action midfielder who can do everything, he passed his audition with flying colours when Forest came to United earlier this month.

United’s biggest obstacle is that it appears his switch to cross-town rivals Manchester City is inevitable. Nevertheless, it isn’t over until it’s over, and the Red Devils ought to be pulling every possible stop to lure him to the red half of the city. His arrival would instantly raise the ceiling in the centre of the park.

Carlos Baleba

I’m fully aware that he isn’t coming off a very good season after last year’s proposed move to United failed, but he has still shown himself to be one of the biggest and brightest prospects in the Premier League. He is a defensive beast yet also brilliant in possession, and it must be noted just how much ground he covers.

Perhaps the one advantage of his modest decline is that Brighton are no longer in a position to command the kind of fee they sought last summer. United may even be able to secure him in the region of £50m–£60m.

United clearly still admire Baleba and he’s one they should lock into their midfield overhaul plans.

Bruno Guimaraes

When it comes to natural Casemiro successors, they don’t come much more obvious than Guimaraes.

The Brazil midfielder has cemented his status as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since he joined Newcastle from Ligue 1. Not only is he a no-nonsense midfield general who doesn’t let up in midfield, but he can also contribute in attack.

Although he was sidelined for significant portions of the season due to injuries, he nonetheless registered an impressive nine goals in the Premier League, a tally matching that of Casemiro.

Every indication suggests he is open to departing Newcastle and receptive to a move to United. Rumours have further indicated that Casemiro has personally recommended that United pursue him.

Guimaraes would require no adaptation period; he would represent a plug-and-play acquisition capable of making an immediate impact from day one.

Mateus Fernandes

Fernandes is another United can easily get, if all the chatter surrounding him is anything to go by. He is a top target for United and a report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that he is prioritising a jump to United ahead of other potential destinations like Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

He holds Bruno Fernandes in the highest regard and would eagerly seize the opportunity to combine forces with him at England’s biggest club.

Despite West Ham’s relegation, Fernandes distinguished himself with a series of brilliant performances, demonstrating a remarkable balance both in and out of possession. His departure from West Ham is now all but guaranteed, as the Hammers are in urgent need of generating funds.

He’d be an upgrade, and being just 21, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Iliman Ndiaye

While the bulk of the attention has fallen on midfield reinforcements, it is evident that United require attacking additions, most urgently on the left flank. With Rashford and Jadon Sancho highly likely to depart, that would leave Matheus Cunha as the sole recognised option, possibly alongside Patrick Dorgu.

United need a specialist in this role, and this is where Ndiaye comes in.

The Senegalese forward has lit up the Premier League since joining the Toffees in 2024. He has shown himself to be a showman, playing a flair-filled and entertaining brand of football that does not necessarily sacrifice goal output.

He managed six goals and three assists in 32 top-flight appearances in the just-concluded term. Showmen have long been a defining feature of United’s greatness, with Cunha serving as the most recent embodiment of that tradition. Alongside Ndiaye, he would represent a solid option on the left flank, adding much-needed depth to a priority position.

Feature image Molly Darlington via Getty Images

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The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social