Man Utd zero in on five elite midfielders – but who should they sign?

Manchester United have whittled their midfield shortlist down to five names for the summer, according to a reliable journalist.

Revamping the midfield is the Red Devils’ main priority for 2026, regardless of who will take charge of the first team on a permanent basis after this season. With Casemiro having already announced his departure and Manuel Ugarte likely to depart too, Man Utd will look to add at least two midfielders.

Financial constraints could mean that Man Utd opt to either bring in one marquee name and a rotation option, or whichever of their top targets are the cheapest. According to Ben Jacobs, INEOS appear to have zeroed in on five names.

“About two months ago, there were eight to 12 names under discussion, but now it feels like Man Utd have narrowed the list to Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, and possibly Angelo Stiller and Sandro Tonali,” he told The United Stand.

“Other options could still emerge, but if United were to land their ideal midfield pairing, it would likely be two from that group. That said, they could miss out and need to turn to alternative targets.”

Who should Man Utd sign?

Man Utd will not have a free run at any of these players. Given their exploits, all five of them are being chased by numerous other suitors. Anderson, for example, is hugely admired by Man City, while Real Madrid have been scouting Wharton for years.

But what if recruitment chiefs Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell lived in an ideal world? Who should they sign in that case? According to data from SciSports, the answer is not entirely straightforward.

SciSports analyses hundreds of in-game data points to calculate a player’s SciSkill rating as well as their potential. Out of the five players on Man Utd’s shortlist, Carlos Baleba has the highest potential by a pretty big margin.

In terms of current ability, however, Anderson is ranked higher, as is the more experienced Tonali. This is unsurprising given that Baleba started the season in poor form after having his head turned by Man Utd.

The Red Devils agreed personal terms with him last summer, but Brighton refused to sell. Talks have continued since, with Man Utd believing that this groundwork will stand them in good stead in the battle for the Cameroon international’s signature this year.

When it comes to building for the future, Baleba would be Man Utd’s best option, whereas Tonali provides the most quality. Anderson, though, ranks well in terms of both ability and potential, making him potentially the most sensible option.

An added bonus is that Jacobs previously reported that Anderson will be significantly cheaper than expected this summer due to mechanisms in his contract that allow him to leave for a reasonable fee.

Football transfer news headlines today

Neymar makes shock retirement announcement

Julian Alvarez’s next club revealed: €120m Atletico Madrid ace makes transfer call

Chelsea broke Barcelona’s transfer policy – here’s how it’s been fixed

Arteta ‘may not be at Arsenal’ next season with another Premier League title collapse

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store