Manchester United's no.1 target for next summer REVEALED as £68m star: report

Manchester United began the summer transfer window licking their wounds following their worst-ever finish in the Premier League era.

Erik ten Hag’s men limped to eighth place in the table with a negative goal difference, although an FA Cup final win over their neighbours Manchester City did mean they were able to end the season on a high.

A busy transfer window was required and Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team delivered five new first-team players at a cost of almost £200million. Gaps in defence, midfield and up front were plugged with the five new signings and despite the summer window only have shut a fortnight ago, the club are already reportedly well on with their plans for the summer 2025 window.

Gaps in defence, midfield and up front were plugged with the five new signings and despite the summer window only have shut a fortnight ago, the club are already reportedly well on with their plans for the summer 2025 window.

According to the MEN , the Red Devils’ ‘provisional plan’ is to bring in another defender, midfielder and winger in time for the 2025/26 campaign.

The most eyebrow-raising name mentioned in the report is that of Crystal Palace winger Eberchi Eze, who has been linked with Pep Guardiola’s City side in recent months. The 26-year-old was a part of England’s Euro 2024 squad and after selling Michael Olise to Bayern Munich in the summer, the Eagles were able to fend off interest in the attacker.

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Eze is under contract until 2027 and has a reported clause of £68million that can reactivated next summer.

Ten Hag’s side could also go back in for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite , the report adds. Manchester United saw two bids for the centre-back turned down in the summer, neither of which matched the Toffees’ £70-80million valuation of the 22-year-old.

More outgoings are expected, with defenders Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans both in the final year of their current contracts, while Harry Maguire’s deal also expires at the end of the season, although the club have the option of a further year, which will be decided upon before the end of 2024.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, both Eze and Branthwaite would be smart signings for the Red Devils as the two players are clearly talented and have their best years ahead of them. What will be interesting is to see how the club make the finances work.

Eze is valued at €55million by Transfermarkt and Branthwaite at €42million and after the club announced a net loss of £113.2million for the 2023/24 season on Wednesday, balancing the books and appeasing PSR rules while continuing to splash the cash will be a challenge.

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