Manchester United's Midfield Targets

Manchester United are currently facing a crisis; both Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are nearing the end of their time at the club, and so, Manchester United will need to reevaluate its midfield by this summer. But are there options for Manchester United to take advantage of in the January transfer window, and who are their top targets? That's what we are going to look over. 

(Image credits to the Premier League)

Christian Orozco 

Manchester United's Newest £1million signing from Fortaleza, the 17-year-old from Colombia, has touched down in England as he completes a trip to Manchester United's training ground in Carrington. Whilst he will continue to train in Colombia until he is 18 years old, it is likely that he will move to Manchester in July. He is a defensive midfielder who has already captained the under-18 Colombian team and will eventually play with the Youth Squad. With room to grow and develop, Orozco could be part of a long-term succession plan for the club. 

Casemiro 

Manchester United could look inward, with Casemiro being fit and on top form this season. With a World Cup motivating him to get fitter, Manchester United seem interested in keeping Casemiro but lowering his wages. Now, whether Casemiro will accept the lower wages is yet to be confirmed, otherwise, a sale could be necessary in order to help fund a big Summer signing. Overall, it's too early to tell the club's plans with Casemiro, and even then, it is not a long-term solution. 

Kobbie Mainoo 

Another internal option for United is Mainoo. He’s definitely a fan favourite despite receiving little game time this year. Although it seems that Mainoo will be Bruno Fernandes’ successor, will he be willing to wait around for Bruno to leave especially with a World Cup year? It's rumoured that he is being considered in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for 2026, although reports have come out that Mainoo wants to push for a loan in January, especially when considering how well players like Rasmus Højlund and Scott McTominay are doing in Italy right now.  

João Gomes  

Gomes from Wolves could become a choice for Manchester United. @Record_Portugal on X, a Portuguese news outlet, has circulated that both Amorim and Gomes are keen on the move. This could be an opportunity as the signing would cost £45 million and could be a low-cost option to bolster United's Midfield until the summer window, when they could potentially go after a bigger midfield target. Although this signing is dependent on whether Wolves are willing to come to the table to sell, according to Fabrizio Romano. Interestingly though, David Ornstein is reporting that Manchester United is not pushing to sign him, so it's clear he is low on their priority list. 

James Garner 

The ex-United player seems to be another option for Manchester United as per @alex_crook, @TALKSPORT, as his Everton contract runs out at the end of the year. Now, do United push for an early move in January, or wait for him to become a free agent in the summer? To make it tricky for United, both Forest and Villa also seem interested in Garner. If United are going to wait until summer to sign the high-level midfielders, then Garner could easily be a great opportunity alongside a higher-priced target. 

Conor Gallagher 

Gallagher is the only senior player on this list not currently in the Premier League. Throughout his career, he has played for Chelsea, Brighton and Palace and won Palace's Best Player of the Year in 2022. After that, he went to Atlético de Madrid for £34 million at the end of the 2024 season. He has previously played in the England squad at the Euros and the World Cup, although there are rumours that he wants a bigger role with most of his appearances in Spain having come from the bench.  

Carlos Baleba 

The Brighton player caught the eye of Manchester United last season, although Brighton were not interested in selling until next year. With a reported minimum price of upwards of £100 million, Baleba was reportedly keen to move, but his move was blocked. Baleba has underperformed for Brighton and being subbed off at halftime in 6 of his last 11 appearances, has the pressure of Manchester United turned his head and broken his focus? If United still believes his skill ceiling is high, they may be able to cash in on his poor form, especially because Cameroon is not going to the World Cup next year. As it is understood, he is still a top target for United and they may be able to break a deal with a lower expected price compared to last year. 

Adam Wharton 

Wharton is a name that appears a lot in terms of their target for next season. At 21, he has become an important part of Crystal Palace's midfield, notably against Liverpool in the Community Shield. This season, he has had high stats, although he has picked up a few injuries. All around, Wharton is a good player and a very great attacking midfielder. Wharton was on United's radar at the start of the last summer window and is a great progressive player, but he may struggle defensively in comparison. He could still be high on their list despite this. Paul Scholes has weighed in and said he would prefer Wharton, so it will be interesting to see how he continues this season. 

Elliott Anderson 

The top choice for a Midfielder seems to be Elliot Anderson, a player who has attracted the eyes of multiple teams this season. At Forest, he has been able to play under all three of Forest's managers this season, along with being a shining star in the England squad this year. Andersons stats in the Premier League this season so far are 5^th in total passes, 6^th in short passes completed, 4^th in duels won, 2^nd in total touches and 9^th in tackles won. He is clearly an all-around midfielder, with some going as far as to say he could be the next Declan Rice, and it seems obvious he may play alongside Rice in Tuchel's England squad next year. He seems to be the top of the United list, but he will likely come with the highest price tag. But if they make sales in the Summer for players like Dalot, Ugarte or potentially Bruno or Casemiro, he might not be such an unrealistic target. 

Article written by Jordan Tevlin