Dynamic ace who has set the World Cup alight is “not on Uniteds shortlist”, fans will be bitterly disappointed – report

So far this summer, Manchester United have signed two midfielders, but Michael Carrick wants to bring in one more . Andrey Santos has officially been announced, while Youri Tielemans has completed his medical ahead of signing a new five-year contract. With Casemiro no longer at the club and Manuel Ugarte injured, the Red Devils could do with a physical monster in front of the defence. This explains why there have been murmurs of United reigniting their pursuit of Carlos Baleba should Brighton & Hove Albion reduce their asking price. Manu Kone has emerged as a target Another name doing the rounds is Manu Kone, with AS Roma open to a sale. His asking price of around £47 million should not pose much of a problem for INEOS. His incredible displays for France at the World Cup, where he has started games over Aurelien Tchouameni, who was United’s top target, wowed fans and scouts. However, The Athletic‘s Carl Anka, while speaking on Talk of The Devil, revealed that the Frenchman is currently not a priority for the 20-time English league champions. “I don’t have the phone book of Laurie Whitwell and Andy Mitten, but from what I can tell and when I tried to check on Friday – Manu Koné is NOT on Manchester United’s shortlist.” United’s surprising stance on Manu Kone That does not necessarily rule out a move for the France international, but United are expected to take their time before finalising their last piece of their midfield puzzle. Apart from Manu Kone, United are also looking at Alex Scott of Bournemouth, but the Cherries’ asking price is proving prohibitive. Ayyoub Bouaddi is another breakout World Cup star on United’s radar, but INEOS are struggling to meet Lille’s demands. Fans are eagerly waiting for some sort of update on that third midfield signing. Beyond the engine room, Carrick will also be looking for a left winger, a backup striker, and possibly a full-back, especially if Noussair Mazraoui departs this window. Busy days ahead for the Old Trafford side! Feature image Paolo Bruno via Getty Images 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25