Manchester United made five signings during the summer transfer window, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club missed out on acquiring an attacking player after an unsuccessful attempt.
United’s summer activities bolstered several key positions as manager Erik ten Hag seeks to build on last season’s FA Cup triumph and aim for a return to the Champions League.
The club signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5 million and outbid Real Madrid to secure French defender Leny Yoro from Lille for £52 million. Additionally, United completed a double deal with Bayern Munich, bringing in defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui for a combined fee of around £50 million. The transfer window wrapped up with the acquisition of Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte from PSG for an initial £42 million on deadline day.
After four matches, United sits in 10th place in the Premier League, recently achieving a 3-0 away win against Southampton. They followed this with their largest victory under Ten Hag, defeating League One side Barnsley 7-0 in the League Cup, a match that left the opposing manager frustrated with his players.
United will take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, looking to secure back-to-back Premier League wins.
However, they were unable to fulfill all their targets, as illustrated by their pursuit of Xavi Simons. The Netherlands international, who participated in Euro 2024 and scored against England in a 2-1 defeat, was a key target for United. Simons joined PSG from Barcelona in 2022, spent the 2022/23 season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, and was loaned to RB Leipzig last season before returning to the Bundesliga club this summer.
Romano notes that United inquired about Simons’ availability prior to the Euros, but the player preferred a return to Germany, with a possible move to England anticipated in the summer of 2025. While United missed out on Simons this summer, there remains a possibility for a future transfer to Old Trafford.
