De Ligt fee agreed, Saudi deal – 3 transfer questions Man United must answer before season opener

In just over two weeks, Manchester United will play Fulham at home to open their Premier League campaign.

With the hiring of sporting director Dan Ashworth and the acquisition of two new players to Erik ten Hag’s team, this summer has been somewhat eventful at Old Trafford. After a challenging 2023–24 season, Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro have joined to bolster Erik ten Hag’s team.

Additionally, more acquisitions are anticipated as United and Bayern Munich are purportedly in agreement on a price for full-back Noussair Mazraoui. A deal for Mazraou is said to depend on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s future because West Ham is interested in the English right-back.

After reaching a personal terms agreement with the midfield player, United is also interested in signing Manuel Ugarte of Paris Saint-Germain. Having said that, there are three areas the Reds still need to focus on before their August 16 match against Marco Silva’s team.

An additional left-back
The left-back position is questionable because of Luke Shaw’s brittle physical condition and Tyrell Malacia’s ongoing recovery from a knee injury. Mazraoui, a possible new addition, can also play there, as can Diogo Dalot.

But United’s roster will be stretched out right away if Ten Hag’s other full-back gets hurt. David Hancko of Feyenoord would be a suitable replacement if the team has some PSR leeway.

We need more centre backs.
Leny Yoro’s injury might make United more interested in Matthijs de Ligt. Bayern and United have not yet agreed on a price, but United has agreed to personal terms with the Dutchman.

The future of Victor Lindelof is still up in the air, and with the exits of Willy Kambwala and Raphael Varane, United might once more be leaning more towards 36-year-old Jonny Evans. Yoro has an injury that could keep him out for a long time, thus before Fulham’s match, United needs to take action.

Return or sell After an awful season last year, Casemiro Casemiro’s future at Old Trafford appears questionable. The 32-year-old Brazilian seems to have succumbed to age and injuries, and it seems improbable that he will recover.

Given his salary, it will be difficult to sell him, and Saudi Arabia is most likely where he will end up. However, Ten Hag’s club struggled mightily in defensive midfield the previous season, and a younger, more adaptable player than the former Real Madrid great is needed to address the issue.