One of Manchester United’s reported summer transfer targets played a brilliant game as Atletico Madrid destroyed Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Manchester United invested more than £200 million in the 2025 summer window, reshaping their attack with the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško, while also recruiting 23-year-old goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
In parallel, they sanctioned the departures of several marquee players, including Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford and Antony, and further exits are anticipated before the window closes.
It has already been confirmed that Casemiro will leave at the end of the season when his contract runs out, and there remains uncertainty surrounding the futures of Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte.
Another major rebuild is anticipated in 2026, with United expected to target elite reinforcements once again, and central midfield widely viewed as the most urgent area to address.
United target Llorente bossed it vs Barcelona
While United’s primary targets in midfield include Sandro Tonali, Elliot Anderson, and Adam Wharton, the club is expected to sign two, or possibly three, new players in the department, with one of them a cheaper squad rotation option.
According to reports from Spain, one of those United have set their sights on is Atletico Madrid’s Marcos Llorente, who the club are eyeing up as a possible signing for around £35 million. Amid the rumours, the 31-year-old bossed the midfield in a 4-0 win over Barcelona on Thursday evening.
In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Llorente played the full 90 minutes, making nine recoveries, engaging in ten duels, and three tackles.
As for on the ball, he completed his only attempted long ball, had 42 touches, and created one chance. He also completed 29 of his 31 attempted passes, with a 94% accuracy, indicating an all-action and tidy display from the Spaniard.
Llorente could be a smart signing for United
There is a real possibility that United may need to recruit three midfielders in the summer. While Kobbie Mainoo is likely signing a new contract, Casemiro’s pending exit and Ugarte’s reportedly being on the summer transfer list complicate matters.
United are already short of a midfielder in their squad, and two further exits mean three must be signed. While Anderson is the first-choice target, he will likely cost in excess of £70 million, meaning the other two would need to be cheaper, rotation options.
While £35 million may be a little steep for a 31-year-old, signing Llorente as an experienced, battle-ready player who knows how to perform in big games could be a very smart transfer for the Reds.
They could lose a lot of experience in the summer with Casemiro going, Maguire yet to sign a new deal, and Fernandes’ future up in the air, so bringing in players who know the game well could be a shrewd piece of business this summer.
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