Celebrating UCL Qualification: Manchester United Allocates £150 Million to Pursue 3 Midfielders Beyond Just a Casemiro Replacement

Celebrating UCL qualification, Manchester United has set a £150 million budget to pursue three players, going beyond just a replacement for Casemiro.

On 5 May 2026, the Daily Mail, a prominent UK media outlet, reported that Manchester United, a leading Premier League club, is ready to spend about £150 million in the summer transfer window to sign three central midfielders, provided they have sufficient funds for reinforcements.

Sources indicate that Manchester United has allocated around £80-90 million to bring in a superstar midfielder to replace Casemiro, whose contract is expiring and is expected to leave the team after this season. They may overlook their primary target, Elliott Anderson, as Manchester City, their city rivals, currently have the upper hand in negotiations.

Casemiro Replacement (Budget £80-90 million)

-TargetsElliott Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Carlos Baleba (Brighton), Adam Wurtz (Crystal Palace), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid)

For the second target, Manchester United has set a budget of £40 million to sign a new midfielder to replace Manuel Ugarte, provided they can sell the Uruguay international midfielder at a suitable price. Ugarte joined from Paris Saint-Germain for £50 million two years ago.

Manuel Ugarte Replacement (Budget £40 million)

-TargetsMatheus Fernandes (West Ham United), Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Tyler Adams (Bournemouth)

The third target is to find a backup midfielder to strengthen squad depth, despite recently extending Kobby Mendy's contract until 2031.

Backup Midfielder (Budget £20 million)

-TargetChe Charles (Southampton)

Manchester United can set a £150 million transfer budget after beating Liverpool 3-2, securing a top 5 Premier League finish and qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League. This will bring approximately £100 million in additional club revenue.

Additionally, Manchester United hopes to increase their budget through player sales of those not in the club’s plans, such as Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford, André Onana, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, and by reducing wage expenses from releasing Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrell Malacia, whose contracts are expiring.