Manchester United

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, PA Media

Manchester United are prepared to make what they privately describe as "disciplined investment" in Ruben Amorim's squad to deliver demanded improvement next season.

United released their third quarter financial statement on Friday.

It included a £20m reduction in wages compared to the same point in 2024, part of which is due to a redundancy programme that will eventually see around 450 staff losing their jobs. That contributed to a small operating profit of £700,000, compared to a loss of £66.2m 12 months ago.

There was also a £2.7m "exceptional costs" payment, which the club say is related to the exits of some senior leaders.

Total revenue for the nine months to 31 March is £502.3m, down just over 3%.

Borrowings, excluding the amount owed in transfer fees, is £691m.

The reduction in costs is significant because, as minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously pledged, it creates space to invest in the first team.

United sources say the figures prove "difficult decisions" around staffing are now starting to bear fruit and that wage reduction, plus other savings, allow for "disciplined investment" in Amorim's squad. They say the club is committed to complying with the Premier League and Uefa's financial rules.

The club, who have missed out on European qualification for only the second time since English clubs returned following the Uefa ban in 1990, have already agreed a deal to sign Wolves forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m. Negotiations with Brentford are also continuing over Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo.

After their worst domestic performance since the 1973-74 relegation season, United chief executive Omar Berrada is demanding immediate improvement.

"We had a difficult season in the Premier League, which we all know fell below our standards," he said. "We have a clear expectation of improvement next season."

Image source, Getty Images

Is Bruno Fernandes staying at Manchester United the best decision for the club?

One United er, Nick, believes there are positives and negatives to the captain staying at Old Trafford.

Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester's Total Sport programme, he said: "I'm on the fence a little bit with this. There are two sides to it.

"There's a good side where I think he is the nucleus of the team. Replacing what he does on and off the pitch would be very tricky and expensive. He's just had one of his best seasons at the club and he's hard to replace.

"I have to caveat that by asking where he fits in the system. When will we get that money again? Will we stay as the Bruno team? They are things we have to consider."

You can listen to the full chat where a number of Man Utd fans give their opinion on the Fernandes situation here

Sporting's 27-year-old Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres is open to reuniting with former manager Ruben Amorim at Manchester United. (Talksport, external)

Brentford have rejected Manchester United's first bid for Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo. The Bees want more than £60m for the 25-year-old. (Independent, external)

Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is monitoring the situation surrounding Antony, who he brought to Old Trafford after working with the winger at Ajax. (Sky , external)

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Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United are in talks to sign Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo after submitting a bid of £45m and £10m in add-ons.

Despite that opening bid no agreement has been reached between the two clubs.

United are confident they can complete a deal to sign Cameroon international Mbeumo, 25, who scored 20 times for the Bees in the league last season, after receiving indications they are his first choice for a move this summer.

It is understood there is no release clause in Mbeumo's contract, which still has a year left to run, although there is the option to extend it by another year.

Wolves forward Matheus Cunha has already agreed a deal with United and will complete his move to Old Trafford once his international commitments with Brazil are over.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes the club must have the "best stadium in the world" as they continue to plan a new ground.

United plan to build a £2bn, 100,000-seater stadium close to Old Trafford, with the club's current home likely to be demolished.

Neville was part of the task force set up as part of the planning and development of this new stadium.

Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Neville itted he believes the plans are "critical" for the club.

He said: "It's exciting, but there was still a lot to do when we handed back to the football club.

"I know the ownership are committed, they know they have to develop a new Old Trafford.

"I'm hopeful, I know it's still a few years off but it's something I feel is absolutely critical. Manchester United must have the best stadium in the world and the best training ground in the world, I'm adamant of that.

"The unpredictable side of football is winning. You ultimately try to win as much as you can, but other clubs have a say in that. You have control of the stadium and the training ground."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

It is the table no-one wants to be top of.

While some fans will feel pretty comfortable when their team goes in front, for others, it is just the start of what could prove to be an emotional rollercoaster.

The fans who had to suffer the disappointment of wondering 'what might have been' most were those of Tottenham.

If the Premier League season had come down to which side lost the most points from winning positions then Spurs would have been top of the pile.

There were 22 occasions in which Ange Postecoglou's team were in front, but they went on to win only half of those, with four ending in draws and seven in defeat.

While 'Ange-ball' provides entertainment, as shown in the Europa League final, if the Spurs boss had adapted on a few more occasions, they might have found themselves celebrating a more successful league campaign than one that left them a place above the relegation zone.

For Fulham fans, it was hard to know whether they were coming or going.

While they were one of the 'comeback kings' having picked up 21 points from losing positions, they also dropped 28 points from winning ones.

Rather than consistent inconsistency, boss Marco Silva will be hoping for less of a rollercoaster next campaign if they want to achieve their European dream.

There were not a lot occasions in which relegated Southampton and Ipswich were in front, but when they were, they struggled to see them through. The 28 and 27 points lost respectively could have been the difference-makers in the fight to stay up.

At the other end of the scale, Newcastle ers could often sit comfortably in the knowledge that when they went in front, they were unlikely to see any other result at the end.

In fact, of the 23 games in which they were in a winning position, they drew twice and lost just once - a confidence they will hope to take into the Champions League next season too.

Much was said of Chelsea's questionable defensive abilities and the maturity of such a young side. But despite this, they too were a team regularly able to see out a game they were leading - winning 20 of the 26 such occasions.

Two perhaps more surprising additions at this end of the table are relegated Leicester City and a Manchester United side who set unwanted club records for the season.

While there were not many occasions when the two sides were in a leading position - 10 for Leicester and 16 for United - between them they lost just three times and dropped only 10 and 11 points restrictively.

Some solace for ers in otherwise underwhelming campaigns.

*Table data from Football365

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As ever with these situations, Manchester United can draw a positive out of a negative.

They felt earlier last week it was coming towards the end game in their pursuit of Delap, and it was between them and Chelsea. Now they know they have lost out.

The positive is, with the decision made, they can move on. That is in stark contrast to 2022, when then manager Erik ten Hag delayed for months in a fruitless attempt to sign Frenkie de Jong and United ended up panicking at the end of the transfer window and spent £150m on Casemiro and Antony.

But that does not answer the pertinent question: who now?

Delap fitted their template of an improving, hungry young player, with scope to reach a high standard - at a set fee.

Rasmus Hojlund - who is four days younger than Delap - fitted the same criteria, apart from the last one. And it has not worked out.

Nothing I have seen on their post-season trip to Asia makes me feel United have the answer to their goalscoring issues within the club. In fact, it is quite the opposite.

The 'safe' but expensive options are Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo and Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta. But Mateta is 27 and Mbeumo will be at the Africa Cup of Nations for a month with Cameroon.

After that, it is a risk.

Former United striker Danny Welbeck scored 10 goals in the Premier League at the age of 34. Is there any merit in bringing him back and taking some of the pressure off Hojlund - or has Ruben Amorim concluded the 22-year-old Denmark international will never be good enough?

If so, it is back to Europe to sign another promising forward with no guarantee it will work.

Aston Villa have become the latest club to show an interest in g England winger Jadon Sancho, 25, from Manchester United following his loan at Chelsea. (Teamtalk, external)

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Brentford and Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo, 25, is hoping for wages of £250,000 a week - five times his current wage - if he s Manchester United. (Times - subscription required), external

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho could be heading to the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr all interested in the United winger. (Mirror), external

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down a huge offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal because he wants to continue "to play at the highest possible level" and in "major competitions".

It was expected Al-Hilal were prepared to offer between £80m and £100m to sign the 30-year-old in time for this month's Club World Cup, and to more than double his Old Trafford salary.

Fernandes says he spoke to the Saudi club's president, who then "waited for me to think about my future".

Speaking before Portugal face in the Nations League semi-finals on Wednesday, the United skipper said: "I talked to the gaffer [Ruben Amorim] and he asked me not to go.

"Manchester United said they didn't want to sell me. They said if I wanted to go I could, but they didn't need the money."

Fernandes itted a potential switch would have been "easy" because there are several Portuguese players already in the Saudi Pro League.

But he added: "I want to play at the highest possible level. I want to play in major competitions.

"I know I still can and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ruben Amorim was adamant in Hong Kong that Manchester United could work around Bruno Fernandes staying at Old Trafford from a financial point of view.

However, the situation is not straightforward.

With no European football of any sort next season, finances will be tight. Amorim has already said he can operate with a smaller squad given there are fewer matches, so sales are inevitable.

Broadly speaking, there are three categories.

Players Amorim just does not want – so the likes of Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Players who have struggled and it would make sense to sell – Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee fit into this group, as does Casemiro.

Then, the bulk are players who have something to offer and United would be open to keeping, but would let go if the right bid came in.

Yet the major issue around all of this is how long would it take to do a deal and how much it would cost.

Take Sancho, for example.

It has been established Chelsea would have signed him on reduced , which he was not prepared to accept.

If a Premier League club that has just qualified for the Champions League are baulking at Sancho's wages, it is fair to assume most other clubs will reach the same conclusion.

If Sancho refuses to drop his demands and Amorim wants him out, United will have to negotiate some kind of compromise.

This puts them back in the uncomfortable position of paying a player to play for a rival. It is the kind of situation minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finds so irritating and wants to end.

Yet, when you take a realistic approach to Sancho, Antony and Rashford in particular, it is hard to see how that situation is avoided. The same could also be said of many United players who remained at the club last season.

The matches may have finished but for United technical director Jason Wilcox and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, the hard work is just beginning.

It is how well they do, getting players in and out, that will determine how much progress Amorim can be expected to make.

Read more about Man Utd's transfer strategy

Alex Turk
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

So, what now?

The dust has (mainly) settled from the heartbreak in Bilbao, that... eventful... post-season tour of Asia is history and we can finally try to generate some excitement before August.

Change is desperately needed in different areas across the coming months. Encouragingly, it has already started.

Manchester United did something they have not done in seven years by announcing their first summer g on the opening day of the window.

Matheus Cunha is ing from Wolves in an early statement of intent from Ineos. It is a strong start, and this is a transfer window they cannot afford to fumble.

I expect at least one more forward to arrive, although Ruben Amorim wants a striker on top of another number 10. It would also be a surprise if there was not a new midfielder in his engine room at the start of next season.

There will be player sales to fund such moves. I expect loanees Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia to be playing for other clubs permanently come August.

And that quartet could just be the start of a ruthless exodus following one of the club's worst campaigns. Almost every player will have a price.

Amorim will remain head coach and have a full pre-season to work with his squad in United's new £50m training facility at Carrington.

The combination of new, better players and superior settings can only spark improvement.

As for what I want to see, it is not too dissimilar to what should happen, which is something to be optimistic about.

I want United to get brutal. They have to. With no European football, it is easier to trim this underperforming squad, given not every player will need replacing.

Amorim must enter 2025-26 with a senior squad no larger than 26 players and use a less congested campaign as an opportunity to start moving in the right direction.

Find more from Alex Turk at Turk Talks FC, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on the latest transfer stories at Manchester United.

Here are your comments on the prospect of Bryan Mbeumo ing:

Ciaran: g Mbeumo is practically a must. Proven, perfect age, and he won't bottle it.

James: Mbeumo would be an interesting g, but I don't know if he's an improvement on what we have now. He makes a lot of sense if Garnacho is leaving.

Mike: It's about time United had a proven Premier League player who is experienced and has a strong physical presence up top.

What you had to say on Bruno Fernandes staying a Old Trafford:

Andy: It's all well and good buying a goalscorer, but you have to provide the supply line. United are toothless and wasteful unless Fernandes is spearheading any attack. It is great news that he has decided to remain at the club.

Christine: I was hoping Fernandes would leave United and that money was invested in two or three new players. Fernandes is simply the best of a bad bunch and if you can get £100m for him we should take it and run. I do not see any Premier League or European teams coming in for Fernandes and I think that says it all.

Nigel: The Fernandes situation was a difficult one for United. To get in good money for him would have made sense, but I'm not unhappy to see him stay.

When we asked if Jadon Sancho deserves a chance under Ruben Amorim, you said:

Mike: No thank you. Excellent footballer but terrible character/personality. Bad influence and not good for any dressing room. I think he will find it difficult now finding a top club that wants him. I wouldn't have him if he was on a free transfer!

Lee: Sancho should be given the chance to show in pre-season what he can do in Amorim's system.

Ant: If Sancho was to stay, he could potentially play in one of the 10 roles like he did with Borussia Dortmund and thrive. The big question is has he burned his bridges with his attitude already? I think it's too late - however, I also don't think anyone will want him for the wages he wants or the money United want for him. This is a prime example of the mismanagement of United over the years.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo could make the switch to Manchester United this summer, so what might the Cameroon international add to Ruben Amorim's side?

Well, goals, energy, assists and pace if last season is anything to go by.

When Ivan Toney departed Brentford for the Saudi Pro League last summer, very few people would have anticipated the Bees would adapt so quickly and finish 10th.

That was largely down to Mbeumo's partnership with centre-forward Yoane Wissa, as the pair formed quite an attacking force.

The Bees scored 66 goals in the league in total and had the highest conversion rate (19.9%) of all teams in the Premier League.

Mbeumo scored 20 of that tally, with only Mohamed Salah (29), Alexander Isak (23) and Erling Haaland (22) scoring more. He also provided seven assists.

So while the numbers reflect why Manchester United would be interested in the 25-year-old, it is also important to look at the wider picture.

Mbeumo overperformed last season according to Opta, scoring 20 times despite having an xG of 12.26.

He sured his expected goals total by the greatest margin in the Premier League season (+7.74) and also had the highest expected assists total of any player in the league with 9.28.

In the 2023-24 season, Mbeumo scored nine goals and ed seven assists in 25 games, while the season before he netted the same amount of goals but one more assist.

So Opta are right in that he overperformed for Brentford last season compared to his previous three seasons in the Premier League and Amorim will have to push to make sure this new standard from Mbeumo becomes the norm.

But it is when and how Mbeumo scores that will interest Manchester United fans the most.

Image source, Getty Images

Mbeumo is viewed as being versatile, dynamic, powerful and fast, and Amorim wants flexible players.

Brentford were fast-starters in the Premier League, putting together a unique run of scoring in the opening 40 seconds in three successive games. Mbeumo was responsible for keeping that trend going - scoring after 23 seconds against Tottenham and 37 seconds against West Ham.

It is quite remarkable when there were only 10 goals scored in the Premier League last season with less than a minute on the clock and two are his.

Manchester United would certainly benefit from Mbeumo's lively start as the Reds were particularly slow to grow into games last season and left a lot of fans slumping into their seats rather than on the edge of them.

A move from West London to Old Trafford is at the talks stage between the clubs, but with no release clause it is doubtful Brentford will be easy-negotiators.

United will have to put their hands in their pocket if they want Mbeumo to be their second g of the summer.

Image source, Getty Images

It has been a busy 24 hours at Old Trafford.

The club are expected to open talks with Brentford for Cameroon international Bryan Mbeumo after receiving indication that they are his first choice club this summer.

Club captain Bruno Fernandes has rejected a lucrative offer from Al-Hilal and is now expected to remain as a United player in 2025-26.

Finally, Jadon Sancho is set to return to Manchester after Chelsea turned down the chance to sign him permanently. However it is still expected that the winger will move elsewhere next season.

We want to know what you think about these transfer stories.

Would you be happy to see Mbeumo move to United? How important is it that Fernandes is staying put at Old Trafford? Would you consider intergrating Sancho into Ruben Amorim's squad?

Tell us your thoughts on Mbeumo, Fernandes and Sancho here

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Gary Neville says Bruno Fernandes' decision to reject a move to Saudi Pro-League club Al-Hilal "is significant" for his former club Manchester United.

Al-Hilal were prepared to offer between £80m and £100m to sign the 30-year-old and his salary would have been more than doubled in the deal.

"I think that there was an element of this situation that meant United getting that level of money, for someone of Bruno's age, obviously, you couldn't say that it would have been a bad deal," ex-United defender Neville told Sky Sports. "But, on the other hand, Manchester United's star player - only player at times - for the last four, five, six years, has been Bruno Fernandes.

"He's so important. The fact that he wants to stay, the fact that he wants to go through this and come out the other side, will endear him towards Manchester United fans even more.

"To turn that money down at a point where Manchester United are at their lowest ebb and say, 'No, I want to fight through this, I want to see it through the other side, I want to come out and achieve things,' I think it says a lot about him as a person, as a character.

"The club needs people who are going to run through a brick wall for them."

Manchester United have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves and they are now set to open talks with Brentford for forward Bryan Mbeumo, as Ruben Amorim puts his stamp on his team.

"They need players who are going to come in and hit the ground running and Cunha and Mbeumo have got obviously Premier League experience," added Neville.

"I know that Ruben Amorim has this system where he plays these two players in behind a striker. If those two players are Mbeumo and Cunha then Manchester United will at least be able to travel quickly from deep positions into attacking positions because they can both run.

"We know the likes of Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, and probably Alejandro Garnacho are going to leave, so they need definitely players in those positions."