Ugarte signs, McTominay sold – Manchester United’s five-point checklist before Deadline Day

With deadline day fast approaching, Manchester United must make five critical decisions as the 2024/25 Premier League season kicks off.

After securing a 1-0 win against Fulham, thanks to a debut goal from Joshua Zirkzee at Old Trafford, Manchester United are now preparing to face Brighton.

Brighton are currently at the top of the Premier League following their 3-0 victory over Everton on the opening day. Erik ten Hag‘s side will encounter them in their first home fixture of the season.

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In their victory over Fulham, new arrivals Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui all made their debuts and impressed the fans with their performances.

However, while one eye will be on the Brighton tie, the other will be on Thursday, 30 August—Transfer Deadline Day. With the much-anticipated date looming, here are five decisions Manchester United must make before the 11 p.m. cut-off time.

#1 – Sign Manuel Ugarte

Manuel Ugarte is very much United’s No. 1 remaining transfer target as the window draws to a close. The club need a midfielder, and the 23-year-old is the best option out there.

PSG wants £51 million, and the latest reports claim that the two parties agree on a transfer at around this fee. However, the exact structure of this is yet to be finalised. They have just under nine days to make this decision.

#2 – Sell Scott McTominay

According to reports from Italy, Scott McTominay is warming to the idea of playing under Antonio Conte at Napoli, and their sporting director flew to England for direct talks a few days ago.

Although it seemed as if the Scottish international was going to stay at the club, rumours indicate that it feels more like he will now leave Old Trafford, but United need to make sure this deal is finalised for around the £25 million they have asked all suitors for this summer.

#3 – Sign another midfielder

Although the Ugarte signing is undoubtedly a significant transfer for a highly-rated young player, should McTomiany leave, the club should look into signing another midfielder before the deadline passes.

While Ugarte, Mason Mount, and Kobbie Mainoo are all starters, the others in the area, such as Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Toby Collyer, cannot be relied upon in high-pressure fixtures, meaning further-back up is needed.

While there have been links to Sander Berge and Youssouf Fofana, both players are destined for transfers elsewhere – but the club should still look for a cheaper rotation midfielder before next Thursday.

#4 – Jadon Sancho decision

United need to decide whether to keep or sell Jadon Sancho. They are demanding £40 million for the 24-year-old, but this has so far been rebuffed by all suitors considering his failure to live up to expectations across his career at Old Trafford so far.

Juventus have reportedly returned to the table and are willing to strike a deal, but likely not at £40 million. United must decide if it is worth lowering their asking price to raise funds for this summer or sacrificing the potential cash influx to keep him on the side.

#5 – Sell Hannibal Mejbri

Aside from the players mentioned above, Mejbri is the final player likely to depart United in the coming days. The 21-year-old reportedly submitted a transfer request last week, which United granted, but no deal has been finalised.

Burnley and Leeds United are interested in the player. A move to Ligue 1 or La Liga is also possible, but United must ensure it’s a permanent transfer.

Mejbri’s contract expires in 2025, meaning this is the last summer United will be able to get a fee for him. After paying upwards of £8 million for him in 2019, they should look to make at least £10 million from his transfer.

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