United’s pursuit of 20-yo Declan Rice regen under threat from Serie A giants – Fabrizio Romano

Manchester United have adopted a planned approach to their transfer activity in recent years, which has been a welcome change from their strategy for most of the last decade. The Red Devils are working to reclaim their glory days and have reinforced the squad step by step of late. After focusing on defence in the summer of 2024 and investing in attack last year, the Premier League giants are now gearing up for another important transfer window. The attention right now is very much on the middle of the park, which will be weakened by the departure of Casemiro at the end of this season. The Brazilian has been indispensable for United of late but has already announced that he will leave once his contract expires in less than five months. It is believed that United are eyeing several Premier League-proven candidates to improve their midfield, including Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person has stated that Club Brugge midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic is also on the Red Devils’ radar ahead of the summer. Indispensable for Club Brugge this season Stankovic’s performances since joining the Belgian club last summer have caught the imagination of the Old Trafford hierarchy. He has been a key figure for Club Brugge this season, first under former manager Nicky Hayen and now under his replacement Ivan Leko. Stankovic has made 37 appearances in all competitions so far, scoring seven goals and setting up four more. Such has been his rise that he has already been compared to Arsenal’s Declan Rice, and is also being monitored by the Gunners. Aleksandar Stankovic Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Jupiler Pro League2320412-1,822′ UEFA Champions League8822–700′ UEFA Champions League Qualifying421—213′ Croky Cup22-1–180′ Total3732742-2,915′ Source: Transfermarkt. United have an impressive ensemble of talented young midfielders at their disposal, and the Serbian fits their revamped youth-centric transfer policy. Stankovic is a defensive midfielder by trade but can also operate as a box-to-box midfielder, so he could also be an option to replace Casemiro at the Theatre of Dreams. The son of legendary Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stankovic, the 20 year old rose through the ranks with the Nerazzurri, but left before he could break into the first team. It now appears that he could have the chance to follow in his father’s footsteps. Inter planning Stankovic return According to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Inter Milan are planning to trigger a €23 million buy-back option for the young midfielder this summer. He broke the news on social media, stating: “Inter have already started planning for Aleksandar Stankovic buy back clause ahead of June. €23m buy back available this summer, €25m for June 2027 but club already making plans for upcoming June.” The update could be a setback to United’s plans, as they will be powerless to stop the player from returning to the San Siro if the Serie A giants exercise their option. Final Thoughs United’s focus has been on Premier League-proven players of late, so the recent update on Stankovic’s future, no matter how disappointing, is unlikely to alter their plans. The young midfielder could have been a superb long-term partner for Kobbie Mainoo and could have sorted out the Red Devils’ midfield for years. However, there are still some very able candidates left for the job, provided the Premier League giants are willing to break the bank for their signatures. 🚨⚫️🔵 Inter have already started planning for Aleksandar Stanković buy back clause ahead of June. €23m buy back available this summer, €25m for June 2027 but club already making plans for upcoming June. 🎥🇮🇹 https://t.co/oD56izYXpf pic.twitter.com/lF1tx7QmbJ — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 13, 2026 The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.