Man United went through 2 summer transfer seasons under the management of the INEOS group. A common point of the 2025 and 2026 summer transfer markets is that the "Red Devils" both spent money to buy 4 new players each time for the first team.
Last summer, the Old Trafford team brought in Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Senne Lammes (Antwerp) and Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig). This summer, the names arriving are Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Carlos Baleba (Brighton) and Karl Darlow (Leeds).
It is easy to see that 6/8 players come from teams playing in the Premier League, except for Lammens and Sesko. This list further shows INEOS's clearer viewpoint on focusing on recruiting players who have experience in the EPL.
There will be opinions that Man United is too stingy and does not dare to take risks. However, from the perspective of the board of directors with the pair Omar Berrada - Jason Wilcox, everything is still maintained according to plan. They are willing to spend big money on some deals, but almost all must meet the familiar criteria and show their ability in the English football environment.
All 4 new signings of Man United this summer come from Premier League clubs. Andrey Santos belongs to Chelsea and was once loaned to Nottingham Forest. Youri Tielemans has many years of domestic playing experience in Leicester and Aston Villa colors. Carlos Baleba has played sublimely at Brighton, while Karl Darlow has played at Leeds and Newcastle.
Cunha and Mbeumo's immediate brilliance further strengthens the view that recruiting players who have experience in the top leagues of the foggy country is completely worthy of a price higher than the market average.
Man United has made changes in criteria to better adapt to the market, typically the Ederson deal of Atalanta. This is an off-EPL contract, but Man United is willing to pay a high price and welcome him as a key pillar in the squad. However, last-minute disagreements about rights caused everything to collapse when it seemed to have been completed.
Not only prioritizing buying domestic goods, Man United also aims for versatile contracts such as Alex Scott (Bournemouth) and Myle Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal). Especially in cases like Lewis-Skelly can play left-back and midfielder, very suitable for playing in many arenas.
Regarding the left-back issue, Man United is leaving open the possibility of buying someone else in the upcoming winter transfer window. If no one comes in the 2026-27 season, they will restart the Lewis Hall (Newcastle) deal in the summer of 2027.
Man United is showing no hesitation in the context of major opponents in the EPL constantly "running the arms race". The Berrada - Wilcox duo will assess each contract as carefully as possible to ensure that the summer 2025 strategy still works in the 2026-27 season. The "bomb drop" ratio is always available in the transfer market, but this duo wants it to happen with the fewest possible deals at Old Trafford.
Man United's actions, precisely from the leadership duo, will leave many mixed opinions from fans. All the most accurate assessments will be based on the actual results on the field. If Man United plays well from now until Christmas, everything will go smoothly. Conversely, they may struggle until the winter transfer window to hope to find more pieces to close the gaps in the squad.
