Yoro signs, £101m duo, Greenwood – Transfer decisions Man Utd can make this week

Manchester United have already confirmed two sales and welcomed in their first signing of the summer, with more transfer activity expected before the start of the season.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe drummed up an initial £10m for the departures of Willy Kambwala and Donny van de Beek, although the latter’s £500,000 move to Girona could rise to around £3.8m with add-ons.

More sales will be needed if United are to secure all of their transfer objectives this summer, and Victor Lindelof is one of those being earmarked as a potential fall guy. Others are expected to be chopped too including Casemiro and possibly Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

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It is thought United could be operating on a net summer spend of just £50m, having already spent £36m on new arrival Joshua Zirkzee – although £10m of this is offset by the fees earned for Van de Beek and Kambwala.

But with a midfielder and defenders to hunt for, Ratcliffe and new sporting director Dan Ashworth will need to be ruthless when it comes to selling players on the periphery, because two players they are targeting do not come cheap.

Matthijs de Ligt

United have already agreed personal terms with Dutchman De Ligt, who knows Erik ten Hag well from his rise through the ranks at Ajax. Bayern Munich are holding out for a £42m fee for the 24-year-old and there is hope that a deal can be wrapped up quickly.

De Ligt failed to get onto the pitch at Euro 2024 as the Netherlands succumbed to England at the semi-final stage. The exit meant the deal for Zirkzee could be tied up sooner and it might have partially shortened the timeline for De Ligt’s potential arrival too.

There are rumours that the centre-back has become unsettled by the fact he is not guaranteed to be a regular starter at Bayern so, if true, De Ligt might wish to take up the offer of more secure minutes at Old Trafford. United’s tour of the USA starts in 12 days.

Leny Yoro

A deal up to £59m has been agreed with Lille for Yoro, who has been courted by a number of European clubs. Real Madrid have been the club most hotly linked with the 18-year-old, while Liverpool were expected to make a move if talks with Los Blancos stalled.

However, it is thought that only United have formally tabled an offer so far, with Lille clearly taking a liking to it. The French club have told 18-year-old Yoro he can leave this summer.

United are waiting on the player to make a decision with seemingly little movement from other potential suitors. However, it has been suggested that United are unlikely to dive for both De Ligt and Yoro – a double swoop that would cost £101m.

That would mean significant transfer exits needing to be secured, and that’s before hunting for a new midfielder. It could be that whoever gets a deal done first ousts the other from joining, thereby making two de facto transfer decisions for Erik ten Hag.

Mason Greenwood

Greenwood is destined for an exit, it seems just a case of where and for how much. Lazio confirmed this week that they have submitted a fresh £21m bid with a 50 per cent sell-on fee clause but United have already accepted a £26m offer from Marseille subject to personal terms agreements.

However, the French club has faced pushback from a number of fans and the city mayor over his potential arrival over previous sexual offence charges, allegations that the player always denied and saw dropped in February 2023.

Last season’s 10-goal haul at loan club Getafe has attracted the attention of a number of European clubs but it is understood that only Marseille and Lazio have formally tabled bids. Reports elsewhere moot that the player wishes for his future to be decided imminently and so a decision could come soon.