Manchester United have made a decent start on a rebuild of their squad, but still have work to do before the beginning of the new season.
Bryan Mbeumo has followed Matheus Cunha through the door to give Ruben Amorim some much-needed extra firepower in the two number 10 roles, although a striker is yet to be secured.
The arrival of these big-money players suggests that Bruno Fernandes’ future may sit further back in the midfield, which is another area in need of attention.
Midfield targets
The Red Devils have so far shopped within the Premier League for their major reinforcements, and could look to dip back into that market with a potential swoop for Andre from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The club have also been linked with Ederson, who plies his trade for Italian side Atalanta.
Looking even further afield, United have also been credited with a strong interest in Richard Rios, the dynamic midfielder from Palmeiras who shone at the Club World Cup.
Offer accepted
But the fast-moving transfer market has left United behind, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Red Devils have missed out on Rios.
The 25-year-old will sign for Benfica after the Portuguese side agreed to meet the Brazilian’s valuation, which will be paid in three instalments.
Romano does not say how much the player costs, but previous reports have indicated the Brazilian side wanted €30m for their midfielder.
Those reports indicated that AS Roma were in the driving seat for Rios, but they have been gazumped by Benfica; the player will fly to Lisbon next week for a medical.
🚨🦅 Richard Rios to Benfica, here we go! Deal agreed right now with Palmeiras after green light on player side.
Benfica director Rui Pedro Braz closed the agreement with mission in Brazil, price tag met and paid in 3 installments.
Rios will fly to Lisbon next week for medical. pic.twitter.com/TBlKh1lh9G
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 20, 2025
United must not waste time wondering what could have been with Rios and should quickly turn to another target, such as the budget-friendly Wilfred Ndidi who could be signed for just £9m.
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
