Manchester United enters the 2026 summer transfer window with the goal of comprehensively rebuilding the midfield, but the Old Trafford team's plan is facing many challenges when continuously missing top targets.
The "Red Devils" leadership from the beginning has determined to recruit at least two, even three midfielders to increase the squad depth. Especially in the context of the team returning to the Champions League with a dense schedule.
After failing to compete successfully in the deals with Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes or Aurelien Tchouameni, Man United was forced to switch directions. They have reached an agreement worth 50 million pounds to recruit Andrey Santos from Chelsea, and are preparing to complete the Ederson deal from Atalanta for a fee of about 38 million pounds.
These are both notable additions, but both Santos and Ederson are not considered top-class midfielders capable of immediately changing the quality of the "Red Devils" midfield. Santos is only 22 years old and lacks top-level playing experience, while Ederson has never played in the Premier League.
Tottenham's recruitment of Sandro Tonali for £100 million and Manchester City bringing Elliot Anderson to Etihad further show the fierce competition in the midfield market this summer. Meanwhile, Real Madrid also successfully kept Tchouameni with a new contract, while Bournemouth affirmed that Alex Scott is not for sale.
However, Man United still shows flexibility in their approach to the transfer market. Recruitment director Christopher Vivell highly appreciates Andrey Santos and played an important role in bringing the Brazilian midfielder to Chelsea before. This helps the "Red Devils" be more confident in their decision to invest in this player.
At the present time, before the new players officially arrive, Kobbie Mainoo is almost the only true central midfielder of M.U ready to play after Manuel Ugarte suffered a long-term injury. Mason Mount can play deep when needed, but that is not his forte position.
Therefore, Man United's task is not only to add personnel but also to upgrade the quality of the midfield. The ability to compete in the Premier League as well as the Champions League next season will depend greatly on whether the duo Andrey Santos and Ederson can quickly adapt and meet expectations or not.
The fact that Man United has not been actively operating in the summer transfer market does not surprise many people. For many years, every time they win tickets to the Champions League, the Old Trafford team often tends to spend more cautiously instead of making sensational purchases.
Big deals like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo last summer showed that Man United still needs to invest heavily if they want to maintain a competitive position with top opponents.
Therefore, the current transfer window will be an important test to see if the Old Trafford team is really changing its strategy or continuing to follow the familiar loop. That is spending heavily after short-term success but lacking a sustainable development plan.
