United set sights on three midfield stars including “exceptionally intelligent” star who lit up World Cup – report

Manchester United have endured a difficult summer in their efforts to complete a midfield rebuild. Slow progress The Red Devils did agree a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson, but his move appears to be off due to concerns the club had over his medical results. United have also missed out on several of their targets, as Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have all joined other clubs. They also do not appear to be in the running for Bruno Guimarães, who seems to have his heart set on a move to Arsenal this summer. The Red Devils have agreed a deal with Chelsea for Andrey Santos, but after Ederson’s collapsed move, the club still needs two more midfield signings. Targets Writing for the Spanish newspaper AS, journalist Eduardo Burgos has identified three players United are targeting for their midfield rebuild. He outlined the players on his X account, stating, “Manu Koné: Roma wants to boost his value at the World Cup.” The journalist continued, “Alex Scott: the one coveted for his age and potential, though his cost will be high.” Finally, he claimed, “Ayyoub Bouaddi: they’ve been following him since the start of the season and at the World Cup.” Con el fichaje de Andrey Santos cerrado y desestimada la llegada de Éderson, el Manchester United todavía prevé la incorporación de otros dos medios. En la lista: -Manu Koné: Roma quiere revalorizarle en el Mundial. -Alex Scott: el deseado por edad y proyección, aunque su… pic.twitter.com/4qwnr1wDUX — Eduardo Burgos (@edu17burgos) July 11, 2026 Koné has certainly caught the eye at the World Cup, having taken the starting place of Aurélien Tchouaméni in the French line-up, who has been struggling with niggling injuries during the tournament. Scott would also be a well-known addition, as he made a significant impression for AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League last season, helping them to an incredible Europa League qualification. What’s more, Bouaddi has been one of the breakout stars of the World Cup. At just 18 years old, he dominated numerous midfield battles during Morocco’s run to the quarter-finals. The Moroccan international has been described as “an exceptionally intelligent and technically refined midfielder with elite long-term potential and the qualities to become a complete modern central midfielder.” Man United’s midfield targets’ 25/26 season PlayerClubMatches playedGoalsAge Manu KoneAS Roma37225 Alex ScottBournemouth39422 Ayyoub BouaddiLille42018 Source: transfermarkt.com Feature image Kevin C. Cox 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 Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.