Manchester United transfer latest: Three targets that could join Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans in new-look midfield

Manchester United enjoyed a fabulous 2nd fractional of the 2025-26 play aft Michael Carrick's assignment successful January, yet securing a third-placed decorativeness successful the Premier League and a instrumentality to the Champions League.

Following their beardown decorativeness to the campaign, Carrick's broadside headed into the summertime transportation model with a wide nonsubjective - revitalise and rebuild their midfield department. 

After being linked with galore midfielders, the Red Devils confirmed their archetypal accomplishment of the model this week arsenic Andrey Santos joined from Chelsea, and a 2nd signing looks acceptable to beryllium completed successful the coming days.

It has been reported that Youri Tielemans volition travel the Brazilian done the doorway astatine Old Trafford aft Man Utd activated the Belgian's merchandise clause astatine Aston Villa, meaning helium volition go their 2nd midfield signing of the window. 

Those 2 additions importantly fortify and change the illustration of Manchester United's midfield, with Santos bringing tenacity and strength some successful and retired of possession and Tielemans adding experience, composure and an elite passing scope to a section that already includes the talented Kobbie Mainoo.

However, pursuing the departure of Casemiro and with Manuel Ugarte acceptable to beryllium sidelined by a semipermanent injury, the Red Devils are inactive lacking 1 cardinal midfield illustration - a physically ascendant ball-winner susceptible of breaking up play, providing antiaircraft extortion and besides capable to screen plentifulness of ground.

With that successful mind, Sports Mole takes a look astatine 3 players who could implicit Manchester United's new-look midfield.

Alex Scott (Bournemouth)

Scott has been heavy linked with a determination distant from Bournemouth passim the summer, with reports that Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United person monitored the midfielder.

Although Scott whitethorn not beryllium the emblematic ball-winning and physically ascendant midfielder, the 22-year-old was 1 of the standout performers from the fantastic Cherries squad past word - and his importantly improved out-of-possession enactment was peculiarly noticeable.

In the 2025-26 Premier League season, Scott registered 12.2 antiaircraft contributions, 6.14 recoveries and 2.55 clearances per 90 minutes - ranking among the apical 16% of players successful his position.

Furthermore, Scott's quality to person the shot nether unit and rapidly burst past opponents with his awesome dribbling - ranking successful the apical 14% of midfielders for palmy dribbles per 90 past play (0.91) - arsenic good arsenic harvester with teammates and advancement attacks, would supply Man Utd with invaluable solutions successful possession.

Therefore, alongside providing antiaircraft enactment rate, Scott would connection superb power and method ability, allowing Carrick to acceptable up to predominate possession and dictate the tempo of matches. 

A woody for the midfielder is improbable to beryllium cheap, with reports of an £80m asking price, but Manchester United would surely reap the rewards from adding Scott to their ranks. 

Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Unlike Scott, Brighton & Hove Albion's Baleba is overmuch much successful the mould of a accepted ball-winning and physically ascendant midfielder.

Baleba established himself arsenic 1 of the Premier League's astir promising midfielders during the 2024-25 campaign, which earned the involvement of a fig of Europe's elite sides. 

Man Utd were, coincidentally, 1 of those sides, and the Red Devils were reportedly looking to marque a determination for Baleba towards the extremity of past summertime earlier yet being dissuaded by Brighton's asking terms of £100m.

The Cameroon international's performances somewhat dipped during an inconsistent 2025-26 season, starring to Brighton supposedly dropping their demands, and Man Utd whitethorn truthful beryllium tempted to instrumentality for Baleba's signature this summer. 

Alongside being a almighty runner and boasting large spot successful duels, Baleba is besides highly susceptible of driving runs guardant and picking retired passes with his superb near foot.

Baleba's antiaircraft qualities would besides let the likes of Tielemans and Mainoo to determination further forward, providing greater originative enactment to the likes of Bruno Fernandes. 

Still conscionable 22-years-old and boasting immense potential, Baleba is surely a woody that would beryllium worthy looking astatine for Manchester United.

Manu Kone (Roma)

Finally, Roma's Kone is different subordinate who could beryllium cleanable arsenic Manchester United's last midfield option. 

Kone was linked to a fig of apical European teams earlier making the astonishment determination to Roma successful 2024, and the France planetary is backmost connected the radar of Europe's elite this summer. 

Alongside adding the physicality required successful Man Utd's motor room, Kone would besides supply further tallness successful the midfield section - lasting astatine 185cm gangly - arsenic good arsenic wide strengths successful possession. 

Kone boasts the method prime to advancement the shot guardant acknowledgment to his fantabulous dribbling and passing, portion helium is besides much than susceptible of sitting backmost and acting arsenic the superior antiaircraft midfielder. 

That has been peculiarly evident during the 2026 World Cup, with Kone sitting somewhat deeper for France than his accustomed positioning for Roma, portion besides inactive demonstrating his abilities going guardant astatine times. 

Interestingly, Kone has often served arsenic Aurelien Tchouameni's lawman during the World Cup - including replacing Tchouameni owed to wounded successful caller matches - and the Real Madrid antheral had antecedently been linked to Manchester United earlier successful the window, highlighting their tendency for a akin profile.

Such versatility could beryllium cleanable for Carrick, allowing the manager to manus Kone much antiaircraft duties against stronger absorption and besides springiness him greater licence to roam guardant against teams that whitethorn beryllium successful little blocks.