Manchester United

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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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 signing on the opening day of the window.

Matheus Cunha is joining 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

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

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

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

James: Mbeumo would be an interesting signing, 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.

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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."

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BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater spoke to the Devils' Advocate podcast about the prospect of Bryan Mbeumo joining Manchester United: "The problem I have with Mbeumo is where he fits in this system because he plays in the same position as Amad Diallo, cutting inside from the right. Unless Amad gets shifted into the right wing back, which is a big possibility, where does he fit in?

"My worry is we are signing Mbeumo because we want him to be the number nine - he is not that. I want us to bring him in, but we need [a different] number nine.

"I think [Viktor] Gyokeres would be my top option as the number nine. You're guaranteed goals. All of my worries about him are taken away purely by the amount of goals he's scored."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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BBC Sport chief football news reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions.

Ben asked: Following the signing of Matheus Cunha, what other signings can you realistically see Manchester United making this summer?

Simon answered: Clearly a number nine is a priority. Liam Delap turned United down, so Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford, Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta and others come into the equation.

What that means for Rasmus Hojlund I am not sure. He could be an (expensive) understudy or United could try to sell, although they won't get anything like the £72m they paid for him.

That is the general problem for United and Ruben Amorim this summer. I think they would like to make a lot of signings but they also have a lot of underperforming players under contract who are not worth what they paid for them.

Each sale could cost money and they can only get rid of so many.

And we have not even started speaking about Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho yet.

Look back at the transfer window Q&A here

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo wants to join Manchester United, who are now set to open talks to sign the 25-year-old Cameroon international. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Crystal Palace's French forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, 27, is also on Manchester United's striker shortlist, but they may face competition from Juventus and AC Milan. (Teamtalk), external

Everton, Manchester United and West Ham could make a move for Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Al-Hilal prepared to offload the 30-year-old. (Talksport), external

Inter Milan are hoping to sign Manchester United and Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund, 22, on loan this summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Manchester United are also waiting for a decision from Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes about whether he wants to stay at the club or leave, with Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal interested in the 30-year-old. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha has given us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club throughout this season.

But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.

Maybe ask him who should be on your club's radar this summer, or where a rumoured target or new signing might fit into the team.

Perhaps see what he thinks about how successful a new recruit might be, who it is vital to keep, or what is needed to make next season a success.

Send in your questions here and we'll put a selection to him

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Two more significant departures from Manchester United have been confirmed.

Director of media relations and public affairs Andrew Ward and media director Ian Nolan are to leave the club.

Ward is best known as the United official who accompanied head coach Ruben Amorim to his news conferences.

The exits are not part of the redundancy programme and both will remain in position until their replacements are confirmed.

George McCaffery will step up and be alongside Amorim at future media engagements.

United returned from their post-season tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong on Saturday.

They are due to play Leeds in Stockholm in their first pre-season game on 19 July before heading to the United States to take part in a Premier League tournament along with West Ham, Everton and Bournemouth.

A new episode of The Devils' Advocate podcast from BBC Radio Manchester is available now.

Hosts Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath discuss the arrival of Matheus Cunha, who might be next in at Old Trafford and the future of captain Bruno Fernandes.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport chief football reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions on the summer transfer window.

A suffering Man Utd fan asked: Do you think Manchester United should sell Bruno Fernandes and reinvest in a couple of players? I can't make my mind up if he is part of the problem through no fault of his own as we are so reliant on him!

Simon answered: Oh my goodness, where do you start with this? By some considerable distance, Fernandes is Manchester United's most effective attacking player. He is the one they rely on to create, score goals, galvanise the team and lead. Aside from that, he is a pivotal figure off the field, tries to guide young players around what it means to be a young player and the behaviours and scrutiny that entails.

If he left, it would be absolutely huge. On the negative side, I accept his approach does not help when it comes to a 'system' because if he has a flaw, it is his positional discipline, which can create massive problems for his team-mates. I actually thought Erik ten Hag found the answer when he played him as a false nine in the FA Cup final against Manchester City but Ruben Amorim is not heading down that route, so if he stays it will either be as one of two number 10s or as a holding midfielder.

Given his age and where United are, I would be inclined to sell. But, and it is a very big but, they have to buy well and so many alarm bells go off in my head when I think of that because of United's overall recent record.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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The picture painted of a financial crisis at Manchester United seems to have been overplayed by part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

United had the highest EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) profit of any Premier League club, as well as the second highest revenues in 2023-24.

Given this cash profit is generated by the day-to-day operations of the club, it only underlines United's appeal at the turnstile to sponsors and broadcasters - despite their poor performance on the pitch.

Despite missing out on Champions League football and the additional riches it provides, by losing to Tottenham in the Europa League final, Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is heading to Old Trafford in a £62.5m move.

Ipswich forward Liam Delap was in United's sights, at a price of £30m, but has chosen Chelsea, and further spending power looks to hinge on the futures of a host of players they are looking to offload.

The club will hope the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony can depart permanently this summer, but when and for how much will be a key consideration.

Read more about the early transfer window and what each Premier League club can spend this summer

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...

Many of us will have been there in school.

It was not always about being the best, but about being better. Not trying to beat the others' scores or times, but about beating your own.

In sport too, it is why personal bests exist. It is a way of measuring your own improvement against what has gone before - we can't all be Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner.

So if the Premier League season was all about how you compared to the campaign before, who would have come out on top?

Well, there is one clear winner.

With 29 points more than they had in 2023-24, Nottingham Forest would have been lifting that trophy.

They may not have finished the season quite as they hoped having spent so much time in the Champions League spots, but having narrowly avoided relegation a year ago, this shows the sheer scale of the improvement this term.

Their nearest challenger on this basis would have been Brentford.

With 56 points, they were three points short of their best ever Premier League tally, but having flirted with relegation last time out, it made for a more enjoyable season this time around.

Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham may have just missed out on European adventures in the real league, but they are also teams who can be happy with the improvements they are showing as now well-established top-flight sides.

And despite the chaotic nature of Chelsea since the new ownership came in, they too can look to steady progress.

At the other end of the scale (or table), it is a very different picture.

Many question whether the traditional 'big six' teams is still relevant, given how others have broken that mould in recent years.

But if the season was based on improvement, four of those six would have been at the bottom.

Tottenham dropped-off in the league nearly as much as Forest improved. Manchester City had a high bar to reach, but a torrid spell proved costly. Manchester United have set multiple unwanted club records, while Arsenal struggled to maintain a real challenge for the title.

They say beware the wounded tiger, and it is hard to see all these sides having the same difficulties next season, but they will not have it all their own way with those teams that are on the up.

*All data from Opta and only teams who were in the league in 2023-24

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

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Given Matheus Cunha's success as the left sided attacking midfielder in Vitor Pereira's 3-4-2-1 system, it is a fair assumption that he will play in a similar role at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim has used multiple players as his attacking midfielders since moving to Manchester United, but Alejandro Garnacho is perhaps the most direct comparison to the Brazilian.

Last week, BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater said that Matheus Cunha is a "better footballer than Garnacho" and the stats tend to agree with him. Cunha is superior in lots of key aspects of an attacking midfielder including goal scoring, chance creation and dribbling. Although Garnacho completes a lot more progressive carries than his new team-mate.

Perhaps the most interesting take away from the numbers is Cunha's dribbling. Not only does he attempt more take-ons than Garnacho but he does so with much more efficiency. For context, Cunha's take-on success is in line with Amad Diallo (47%) who is one of the most gifted players on the ball at Manchester United.

Of course it is important to remember that Cunha is six years Garnacho's senior and the Argentine has plenty of time to develop his game. But it is pleasing to know that if the 20 year-old were to depart this summer, the club have recruited someone more than capable in his place - at least statistically.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Matheus Cunha signing for Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Nick: I'm happy with this. We're creating, but not scoring, so getting someone in who has experience scoring in the Premier League can only be a good thing.

Christine: I think it is a fantastic signing in this struggling Manchester United era. I see hope because he can play in so many positions in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 and United need goals, that's all they need.

Salty: Cunha has the skills but does he have the temperament for the most 'under the microscope' and 'under pressure' club currently in the world? I hope so but so much needs to change around him to get the best from him. Let's hope Amorim's plan gets the support from the boardroom. I'm still holding my breath...

Graham: At last; the right player, at the right price and at the right age. What could go wrong?

Karl: Definitely a step in the right direction. His stats say he has everything we've been missing - awareness, speed, balance, a finishing edge and above all, confidence. Can't wait to see how he works alongside the likes of Amad, Fernandes and Zirkzee.

Bob: Yes, he's renowned for his 'bad attitude' but that's just because he wants to win, which is an attitude sadly lacking in quite a few of our current squad. I seem to recall a certain Mr Cantona was slated for his attitude when we signed him!

Image source, Getty Images

So, Matheus Cunha is set to become Manchester United's first signing of the summer.

The forward will join on a five-year contract with the option of another 12 months.

Cunha has scored 72 goals in 270 club appearances, including 33 in 92 during two and a half seasons with Wolves.

The deal, which is subject to visa approval and registration procedures, is expected to be completed once the 26-year-old returns from Brazil duty later this month.

How excited are you by this signing? And will Cunha be a success at United?

Have your say here