Todibo, Guirassy and £100m Kobbie Mainoo partner – Man United’s dream summer transfer window

Todibo, Guirassy and £100m Kobbie Mainoo partner – Man United’s dream summer transfer window

It could be a busy summer at Manchester United this year with plenty of change promised at Old Trafford.

If real change is to take place after a difficult campaign, then a squad overhaul will need to take place over the next few transfer windows.

New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group have promised to overhaul the club’s footballing operations, which could mean several departures and new arrivals.

MEN Sport understands that the club’s recruitment team is eyeing two central defenders this summer amid a campaign which has seen them concede 51 Premier League goals so far.

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba are two players who have been tracked.

One potential player who could be attainable is Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo. United were linked with a move last summer and the French club is owned by Ineos, which should make any potential deal more straightforward.

Midfield is another key area United will need to address this summer with the ageing Casemiro and Christian Eriksen proving a problem for much of the campaign. Kobbie Mainoo has excelled but he will need a midfield partner to get the best out of him going forward.

Benfica teenager Joao Neves, 19, is the same age as Mainoo and has also enjoyed a fantastic season. Like United’s teenage midfield star, Neves has the technical ability but also excels in his defensive duties.

Recent reports from Portugal have claimed that the Portuguese is a top target for United this summer. However, any potential deal will be costly amid reports that Neves has a €120m (£102m) release clause.

Goalscoring has been another issue for Erik ten Hag’s side this season, with no forward at the club scoring more than eight league goals.

Rasmus Hojlund has enjoyed a promising campaign but injuries and long runs without a goal mean that he can not be relied upon to lead the line for United next season.

Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy was linked with a move to Old Trafford in January, with his goalscoring record in Germany this season making him an appealing prospect. The 28-year-old has scored 27 goals across all competitions so far in 2023/24.

United missed out on Harry Kane last year and will be keen to make sure they sort out their goalscoring problem this summer. Stuttgart’s likely qualification for the Champions League is likely to make signing Guirassy harder, though.