Five midfielders who could transfer to Man Utd this summer

FT Desk

• Updated: 7 Jun 2022 13:44 BST
• 4 min read

We are now closing in on a decade since Manchester United last won the Premier League and the 2021-22 campaign proved to be another catastrophic one for the record English champions.

Man Utd started the season with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was then sacked before Christmas and eventually replaced by interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

Rangnick fared little better than his predecessor as Man Utd went the season trophyless and look like failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Subsequently, Man Utd have hired a new manager this summer and once again they will revolutionise the playing squad under Erik ten Hag.

The area of the field that requires most work is the centre of midfield.

Here are five midfielders that Man Utd could look to sign this summer.

What midfielders could join Manchester United?

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

Frenkie de Jong emerged as one of the most exciting young midfielders in the world under Ten Hag and played a big role in Ajax's run to the semi-finals of the 2019 Champions League.

However, he has struggled to push on during his three years at Barcelona and has not become the world-class player everyone expected him to become.

As a result, Barcelona do not consider him indispensable anymore and would consider selling him for the right offer in order to help pay off their massive debts.

Barcelona and Man Utd have opened talks over a possible deal and while De Jong would prefer to play in the Champions League this is a transfer that could happen.

Declan Rice (West Ham)

No player in English football has received as many plaudits over the past year or so than West Ham star Declan Rice.

The England international is now considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League following a vast improvement in his performances.

A combative and tactically-intelligent holding midfielder, he is exactly the type of player Man Utd have been missing for years.

Man Utd and Chelsea had been in a head-to-head battle for his services but, with the Blues' transfer market delayed for political reasons, the Old Trafford club gained a head-start in negotiations.

The biggest stumbling block will be the transfer fee as West Ham value Rice between £100 million and £150m.

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

It’s incredible to think that Jude Bellingham is still only 18. He has already tallied up well over 100 career appearances and 13 England caps.

According to FootballTransfers, he is the most valuable teenager in the world and he seems destined for a great career.

The Borussia Dortmund star is ideal for Man Utd because he can virtually occupy any midfield role or function in the team, whether it is as a box-to-box midfielder, a holding midfielder or as a side central midfielder.

Man Utd are one of a host of Premier League giants who want Bellingham, including Man City and Liverpool.

His price tag will be above £100m.

Christian Eriksen (Free Agent)

FootballTransfers understands that Man Utd are one of three clubs who are interested in signing Christian Eriksen this summer.

The other two teams are Newcastle and Brentford, with the latter hoping to extend his deal that is set to expire at the end of the month.

Eriksen enjoyed a fairytale comeback to football in 2022 after signing a six-month deal at Brentford, and was one of the Premier League's best players in the new year.

He collapsed on the pitch with a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 but has since returned to fitness and playing excellently.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)

Every single summer Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gets linked to a transfer to a major European club and every summer he ends up staying at Lazio.

Now 27, Milinkovic-Savic will surely finally make the move to one of Europe’s finest before he passes the peak of his career.

No club has been linked more to the giant Serbian than Man Utd over recent seasons and they are again leading the chase for him.

Milinkovic-Savic is similar in style as Paul Pogba and thus would be the ideal replacement for the Frenchman, who will leave on a Bosman transfer when his contract expires this summer.

Lazio president Claudio Lotito is notorious for making unrealistic demands when it comes to transfer fees and he will again ask for something approaching €100m.