Manchester United reportedly feel they have already secured £43.6 million next summer as Rúben Amorim hunts for further improvements.
Manchester United’s 2025 summer transfer window brought sweeping changes in attack, with Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Šeško, and Bryan Mbeumo joining for just under £200 million.
Rúben Amorim also bolstered his squad with the additions of young left-back Diego Leon and goalkeeper Senne Lammens for a further £20 million, though the lack of midfield reinforcements drew criticism.
On the outgoing side, United collected £61.5 million from sales, headlined by Alejandro Garnacho’s shock move to Chelsea and Antony’s transfer to Real Betis.
The club also sanctioned loan moves for Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho, while several Academy talents departed temporarily to build valuable experience.
United feel Højlund transfer is already complete
So far this season, those who have left United either on loan or permanently have done well, with Højlund netting on his debut, Rashford scoring two fantastic goals for Barcelona in the Champions League, and Garnacho immediately involved with Chelsea.
While Garnacho has already left the club permanently and Rashford’s loan to Barcelona only contains an option to buy the player for £26 million, Højlund’s transfer is a little more complicated.
Napoli paid United around £5.2 million for his one-year loan, and will sign him for a further £38.4 million if they qualify for the Champions League next season.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, United are already viewing Højlund’s move as a permanent one, treating the total £43.5 million fee they negotiated in the 2025 summer window as guaranteed next summer.
“The feeling they have internally at Manchester United is that the obligation to buy for Rasmus Højlund will be triggered, will be activated, because he’s playing, because he’s an important player for Napoli,” Romano explained on his YouTube channel.
“Also, because the plan of Napoli, the project of Napoli, is to have Rasmus Højlund as a crucial part of their project, not just for this season, but also for the future. So the feeling at Manchester United is that, for example, Rashford is just a loan with buy option.
“Rasmus Højlund can be a loan with obligation, and that obligation is expected to be triggered. So Man United internally already consider those million euros, €50 million, €6 million they already got, plus €44 million in terms of obligation, as something almost guaranteed for them.”
Where should United spend this money next summer?
If United are confident that they will receive the full £43.5 million for Rasmus Højlund, the next question is where this money will be spent.
When assessing United’s squad, the obvious area that is in desperate need of improvement is the midfield. The club already has a man light in that department after not signing a midfielder last summer, and the need increases in 2026.
Casemiro’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season, and there are questions surrounding the futures of Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, and Bruno Fernandes.
United already want to sign Brighton’s Carlos Baleba next summer, but with his price quoted at around £100 million, this is a major operation to undertake.
Even if Baleba is secured, the club need to look to sign at least two other midfielders, and the money from Højlund’s sale could go a long way in securing rotation and squad player midfield transfers in 2026.
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