Manchester United may end up breaking their transfer record twice in the space of 18 months as the club create succession plans for their senior players.
Manchester United’s spending of over £200 million in the 2025 summer transfer market saw them bring in a new front line of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Šeško, while they also added 23-year-old Senne Lammens in goal.
At the same time, they offloaded several high-profile names, including Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford, and Antony, with more expected to come this summer.
It has already been confirmed that Casemiro will depart at the end of the current campaign once his contract expires, while the futures of Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, and Manuel Ugarte are in question.
It’s expected that United will continue their mass overhaul once the 2026 summer transfer window opens, with United spending big once again on premium targets.
United could break transfer record this summer
United’s main targets this summer are to do with the midfield. This has been relayed for the last few months, and amid Casemiro’s departure, it’s become a certainty.
While the futures of Ugarte and Fernandes are also yet to be confirmed, there is absolutely no doubt that they will need a new first-choice defensive midfielder.
According to the Manchester World, the club’s dream target is Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson, who has not just shone in the Premier League but also broken through into Thomas Tuchel’s England starting XI and is expected to remain in place for the World Cup.
However, it’s also noted in the report that should Forest avoid relegation – they are currently 17th but six points clear of West Ham in 18th – and Anderson is to have a stellar World Cup, the Englishman could well command a fee over the £89 million record payment they made for Paul Pogba in 2016.
2027 could see the transfer record smashed again
Let’s say United are to get their man in Anderson, and they do pay a transfer fee of £90 million or more to Forest, they may well step over this mark again in the 2027 market.
In the last few weeks or so, it has been reported that Chelsea star Cole Palmer, formerly of Manchester City and who is a boyhood United fan, is growing frustrated with life in London and would welcome talks with the Old Trafford club.
However, Chelsea have been firm in stating that he will not be sold to any club in the summer window. As with the unpredictability of football, there is no guarantee he could not leave Stamford Bridge in the 2027 window.
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It has also been touted by some that Palmer could be United’s replacement for Fernandes, whose current deal expires in 2027.
According to the most recent reports, with Palmer’s long-term future still not fully locked down, the only way Chelsea would consider selling the player is if they received a British Premier League record bid, currently £125 million, which Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer.
Should United go in for Palmer in the summer of 2027, they could end up breaking their transfer record twice in two seasons to replace Casemiro and Fernandes at the club.
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