£40m star now very keen to join Man Utd

Was Manchester United‘s rampant form under Michael Carrick last season a false dawn or a sign of things to come in 2026/27?

That much is still to be decided, but what is clear is that there is a possible opening for United to exploit, the chance for the club to actually put themselves in Premier League title contention again.

The Pep Guardiola era is finally over at Manchester City, while there’s been managerial upheaval at Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, all of whom have endured a dismal 2026 thus far.

Arsenal, most likely, will be the team to beat again next season, but with the right recruitment, it wouldn’t be fanciful to suggest that United can also enter the mix.

A first summer deal for Atalanta’s Ederson has all-but been agreed, with that perhaps just the beginning of an extensive window for those at Old Trafford.

£40m target now keen to join Man Utd this summer

The key talking point right now remains the club’s pursuit of West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, with the likely sticking point set to be the Hammers’ £80m+ asking price.

There could also be the prospect of a double deal too, by all accounts, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that the Red Devils are also interested in Fernandes’ club colleague, Crysencio Summerville.

The suggestion is that United have already lodged enquiries ahead of a potential £50m for the Netherlands international, with the INEOS regime seemingly again prioritising Premier League-proven targets.

That approach, which saw Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha snapped up last summer, has also seen them enter the race for Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, amid the ongoing search for a new left-back.

According to SportsBoom, both United and Chelsea are interested in the United States international as an alternative to Lewis Hall, with the Blues having only recently sold Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid.

Robinson, as per the report, is said to be ready to take the next step in his career, and is said to view either Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford as ‘an ideal opportunity to test himself at the highest level’.

In terms of an asking price, previous reports have suggested he could command a fee of around £40m.

Why Robinson could be a better signing than Summerville

Summerville, currently part of Ronald Koeman’s World Cup squad, certainly put himself in the shop window with his stunning strike against Japan over the weekend, rifling home from range before leaping into the arms of assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy in celebration.

The 24-year-old has been a shining light in a difficult season back at club level, although he did actually only score five Premier League goals, four of which came in successive games in early 2026.

He does appear to be something of a streaky player in front of goal, having previously netted in four games in a row back in 2022/23, the only times he scored that season in the top-flight.

That may potentially have alarm bells ringing, while there’s also the question mark over whether such a signing is essential, with last summer’s trio of Benjamin Sesko, Cunha and Mbeumo all hitting double figures in 2025/26 for league goals.

Throw into the mix the likes of Patrick Dorgu and Amad, alongside the potential emergence of JJ Gabriel, and there may be a lesser need to invest in wide areas, with left-back seemingly a more pressing issue.

Indeed, while Luke Shaw creditably started all 38 league games last season, that proved an exception rather than the norm of his United career to date, having so often been hamstrung by injury.

A return to Champions League action may well cause an issue for a player who has largely played just one game a week all season, a fact emphasised by his absence from the FA Cup clash with Brighton back in January.

Bringing in a potential replacement or back-up in the form of Robinson would then be an astute move, with the ex-Everton man having long been a real star attraction at Craven Cottage.

The 28-year-old – who only recently scored a thumping effort in the United States’ pre-World Cup friendly defeat to Germany – did endure an injury-hit year of his own, although his quality is still to be admired, having averaged 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game in 2025/26. For comparison, Shaw averaged just 3.1 in that regard.

In his pomp too, Robinson would represent such an upgrade in an attacking sense, having ended the season prior with ten league assists from left-back, having also chipped in with six a year earlier.

Again, for comparison, Shaw has never gone beyond five assists in a Premier League season, while he’s only recorded one across the last two seasons combined.

In two seasons at West Ham too, Summerville has actually only registered nine goals and assists, a worse return of goal involvements than Robinson in that time (11).

He’s proven himself over a sustained period now, such a consistent figure under Marco Silva, ensuring he could slot in smoothly as someone who can genuinely impact the starting XI.