£60m World Cup star wants to join Man Utd

You’d have been hard-pressed to find anyone who would have predicted Manchester United‘s first signings of the summer to be Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, with things not panning out quite as expected in the window so far.

INEOS do have credit in the bank following a successful 2025 on the recruitment front, but there remain questions to be answered regarding this summer’s activity.

Are United being wise not to fork out eye-watering fees for the likes of Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes or Morgan Rogers? Or, as has often been the way in the Glazer era, is this merely another muted summer at a time when the club look ready to kick on?

That is all to be determined in the coming weeks and months, with it time for the Red Devils to start shifting their focus away from the midfield unit.

Why Man Utd need to make attacking signings urgently

The talk remains centred around the elusive ‘third midfielder’, but it would be wrong to suggest that United don’t have other areas to sort heading into 2026/27.

Looking to the forward line, there is a stark lack of depth and proven quality, with Joshua Zirkzee and Amad having scored just four Premier League goals between them last time out, while Patrick Dorgu has only recently transitioned into a more attacking role.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko did enjoy encouraging debut campaigns, having all hit double figures for league goals, but all three endured quieter periods, struggling for genuine consistency.

With Champions League football on the agenda too next term, Michael Carrick‘s side just don’t appear armed and ready to compete on multiple fronts. Can anyone really rely on the returning Marcus Rashford to get back firing again?

One name that had been mentioned as a potential incoming was West Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville, the Dutchman fresh from having scored and assisted four goals in just four World Cup appearances for the Netherlands.

He’s an exciting, explosive talent, yet the 24-year-old did only score five times in the top-flight last term, after notching just one goal the year prior, ensuring he would’ve represented something of a risk for the Red Devils.

Indeed, INEOS might well need to set their sights a little higher over the coming weeks.

£60m World Cup star now wants to join Man Utd

A £50m move for Summerville had been mooted, although the ex-Leeds United man now looks set for a shock switch to Saudi side Al Hilal for a fee of around £69m, as the Hammers seek to cash in following their recent relegation.

Whether INEOS press ahead to sign an alternative depends on Rashford’s situation, with it yet to be seen whether this talk of ‘reintegration’ is merely a smokescreen for a sale later down the line.

Regardless of whether the Englishman stays or goes, new forwards are needed, with FootMercato reporting that Ismaila Sarr is on United’s list of targets.

While the Senegalese star isn’t said to be a ‘priority’ as things stand, talks have been held regarding a deal, with United exploring a range of options.

As for the player himself, the £60m-rated marksman is said to be a lifelong fan of the club and would view an Old Trafford switch as his ‘dream’ move, suggesting he would certainly be keen to join.

At 28, Sarr wouldn’t necessarily be a long-term signing for INEOS, more in the mould of a Tielemans, yet it’s difficult to argue with what he offers for the here and now.

Only recently, while Senegal bowed out against Belgium in the round of 32, the Crystal Palace man was immense in the early weeks of the tournament, scoring four in just four appearances, alongside registering one assist.

That comes following a fine year all around at Selhurst Park, with Sarr emerging as the main man under Oliver Glasner as the Eagles romped to Conference League glory, having scored nine times in just 13 games in the competition.

In all, he ended 2025/26 with 21 club goals across all fronts, nine of which came in the Premier League, ensuring he has now scored 17 league goals since the start of 2024/25.

As already noted, Summerville’s record in that same time frame stands at just six league goals, having yet to really prove himself in England’s top tier.

In 116 career Premier League games, the former Watford winger has chalked up 43 goals and assists, while in 84 games in the competition for Summerville, he boasts just 18 goals and assists.

Of course, Sarr is four years his senior, although it’s not as if Summerville is exactly a young prospect himself at 24, with United likely to have been gambling on potential rather than anything proven.

It’s a different matter with regard to Sarr, however, while his ability to play on either flank or as a number nine is also a significant bonus, particularly with Carrick’s favoured forward line still to be determined.

Again, at a time when the aforementioned Rogers is heading to Chelsea on a £117m deal, this might not be an equivalent marquee move, but considering his form over the last 12 months or so, Sarr could be a truly inspired, surprise signing.