Things haven’t felt particularly great at Manchester United for some time, largely on account of the fact that the club has been grossly underperforming on the pitch for years.
There was a hope that the arrival of Ruben Amorim might change that and that might still prove to be the case, but if it is to be so then the Portuguese manager is going to have to be allowed to bring in players that suit his system.
For too long the Red Devils have had players signed for one manager working with another, so which midfielders do the rumour mill suggest he’s likely to bring in in the summer?
Éderson
If you’re going to sign a midfielder then bringing one in who has been described as ‘out of this world’ wouldn’t be a bad place to start. That is what Manchester United are reportedly looking to do in the form of Atalanta midfielder Éderson.
Both in Campo Grande, Brazil, the defensive midfielder began life as part of the youth system of Desportivo Brasil and made the first team before moving to Cruzeiro and Corinthians prior to moving to Italian side Salernitana. It was whilst there that he caught the eye of the Atalanta hierarchy, who signed him in the summer of 2022.
@united_univerze Breaking – Man UTD target Ederson of Atalanta🔥🔥. #ederson #atalanta #markgoldbridge #manchesterunited #manutd #transfer #transfernews #transfermarkt #mufc #goldbridge #fyp ♬ Inspirational – neozilla
He has impressed in Serie A in the years since then, which is why links to Manchester United have been swirling around for some time.
There are rumours that he might cost more than £50 million for the Red Devils to sign him, which could prove to be a major stumbling block considering the financial constraints that are in place at the club at the moment, but the fact that the 25-year-old can play a number of positions across the midfield certainly makes him an appealing proposition.
Whether they can bring him in may depend on some outgoings to meet Premier League Profit & Sustainability Rules.
Morgan Gibbs-White
The fact that Manchester United are in such a depressing state on the pitch at the moment means that the club might have to lean on other means of bolstering their ranks if they are to improve at any point. With that in mind, a move for a player who is known to be a fan of the Red Devils might be one way of looking to get someone on board.
That is very much the case with Morgan Gibbs-White, whose career began at Wolverhampton Wanderers and saw him gain experience at Swansea City and Sheffield United on loan prior to being signed by Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022.
🚨 Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Liverpool and Spurs are all interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White. 😮
A modest bid of around £50m could be enough to get the deal done.
(Source: @caughtoffside)
🤔 𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗘: Is Gibbs-White worth more than £50m? pic.twitter.com/cZDPR2b3a9
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 14, 2025
It is his love of the Old Trafford club that those in charge of transfers will be depending on, given the fact that it looks as though Forest are going to qualify for the Champions League next season. If they do, then it would undoubtedly be a struggle to persuade Gibbs-White to leave them for anyone other than his boyhood club.
Even then, it might be a stretch, of course, with the player likely to want to experience playing in Europe’s premier competition. The fact that Man United are unlikely to have any European football at all certainly won’t help their cause in trying to bring him in.
Eduardo Camavinga
Whatever the state is of Manchester United on the pitch, the Red Devils are still one of the biggest clubs in the world and boast the pull of a side that is known in every corner of the planet. As a result, they will always be linked with some of the biggest names in the game, which is very much where Eduardo Camavinga sits.
The Real Madrid midfielder has won La Liga and Champions League titles with Los Blancos, but reports suggest that they are happy to cash in on him for around £50 million. That is largely thanks to his injury issues of late, which are part of the reason why United may be able to get him.
The fact that Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are both likely to leave in the summer and Kobbie Mainoo won’t sign a new contract means that United have to strengthen in the middle of the park. French midfielder Camavinga certainly has the experience that Amorim would like to add to his midfield, with the only major problem likely to be competition from elsewhere.
The rumour mill suggests that both Paris Saint-Germain and local rivals Manchester City might also be keen to take the Real Madrid man out of Spain, which could mean that he’s too rich for United’s blood at present.