Kane and Gibbs-White in, Mainoo sold: Man United predicted XI for 1st 25/26 match
Man United have a lot of work to do to turn around Ruben Amorim’s struggling side this summer while balancing a budget that has already become a major headache.
The club’s financial issues have become abundantly clear over the course of the past few months, yet despite that plans were recently announced for a new £2billion stadium, leading to questions about how the Red Devils will both fund that new home and invest in their squad in the transfer window.
One likely route could be the departure of Kobbie Mainoo, with it understood that Man United are ready to sell the England international for £70million, as well as offloading some high-profile loanees permanently.
Indeed, Paul Scholes recently claimed the hierarchy at Old Trafford will not care about letting the club’s own academy graduates go, with Alejandro Garnacho also linked with an exit.
Whatever happens, another underwhelming season on the pitch, despite Amorim replacing Erik ten Hag as manager, has highlighted the desperate need for change to the squad in the summer, meaning there is an expectation that a number of signings and sales will be completed at Old Trafford once the transfer window opens again.
As well as the sale of Mainoo, the permanent departure of Marcus Rashford following his loan spell at Aston Villa could also help to raise funds, while Man United could also earn a double windfall on Jadon Sancho if Chelsea back out of their obligation to buy the winger.
Elsewhere, Christian Eriksen has suggested he expects to leave Old Trafford when his contract expires in the summer which will help to free up wages.
All of that may give the club some scope to invest come the end of the season, when the window opens for them to make additions to their squad.
So with the games ticking down until the end of this season, here’s how Football Insider predicts Man United will line up for the first game of the 2025/26 campaign in Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 formation.
Man United to swoop for another Milan-based goalkeeper amid Andre Onana errors
Senne Lammens
Andre Onana has had a mixed time of things since he moved to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in the summer of 2023. While he does have his fair share of good game, he is also more than susceptible to a number of costly errors, as he has shown again this season. That left many Man United fans excited by links with Senne Lammens earlier in the campaign. Currently first choice at Royal Antwerp in his native Belgium, the 22-year-old would fit the mould of the exciting young talent the club are looking to bring in. The Telegraph have reported that United are interested as they are not sold on either Onana or back up Altay Bayındır, and neither are plenty of fans.
Matthijs de Ligt
With Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich already on his CV, De Ligt looked to be an encouraging signing for Man United when he joined last summer, although he has at times struggled to settle into the backline at Old Trafford. Even so, he is starting to emerge as one of Amorim’s more consistent and reliable centre-back options for the long-term with the Red Devils, with some improving performances.
Leny Yoro
Having picked up an injury in pre-season, Yoro was forced to wait to break into the Red Devils’ first-team following his move in the summer. However, since gaining his fitness to get that chance, the 19-year-old has become a solid presence in the backline at Old Trafford and that is only likely to improve with further experience at this level.
Lisandro Martinez
This season had seen the Argentine operate as one of the more consistent and reliable features of the backline at Old Trafford, before Martinez was ruled out of action for Man United with a serious injury. Even so, if he is fit then the 27-year-old will reclaim his place in the starting XI. If not, then the emergence of Ayden Heaven means the former Arsenal youth prospect could be an alternative option to step in provided he has recovered from the injury that saw him stretchered off in the win at Leicester on Sunday (16 March).
Diogo Dalot
Man United have this week been beaten to the signing of Geovany Quenda by Chelsea, denying Ruben Amorim the chance to reunite with a player he gave his debut to at Sporting CP. As a result, Diogo Dalot could be set for a stay in the right wing-back role for the time being, with the Portugal international having fared well in that position at times since Amorim introduced the shift to a 3-4-3 formation.
Bruno Fernandes
The captain has been one of the rare bright sparks in an otherwise disappointing season for the club, often coming up with the rare moments that have preserved some semblance of respectability at Old Trafford. As a result it seems a certainty that the Portugal international will retain his place in the starting XI for next season, with the hope he can continue to do what he has been recently.
Manuel Ugarte
A slow start after his summer move from PSG, but the midfielder now looks to be finding his feet in English football. A former player under Amorim at Sporting, that too should put him in a strong position to retain a place in the starting XI in the centre of the park from next season, especially if Mainoo is indeed move on in the summer.
Patrick Dorgu
Despite a tough start, not least with Dorgu enduring a horror first half when Man United took on Ipswich, the January signing is starting to look like just what Amorim wanted from someone filling the left wing-back role. His runs forward have helped to provide an attacking threat for the Red Devils, and he no longer looks as vulnerable in defence, which look to have made him a preferrable option in the left wing-back role.
Amad
Another who at the start of the season, was one of the few playing at Old Trafford who could hold his head high. The young Ivorian international has been missed since his campaign was ended by injury, but having already been given an exciting taste of what he can, many of a Man United persuasion will be desperate to see him back in the lineup as soon as possible.
Morgan Gibbs-White
Ex-Old Trafford scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that Amorim is a fan of Gibbs-White which sets Man United up to join the race for the Nottingham Forest star come the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old has been in incredible form this season in an attacking midfield, both with his ability to create chances and finish them off himself. That would make him an upgrade on Alejandro Garnacho, who for all his endeavour has struggled for an end product, as well as the injury-plagued and under-performing Mason Mount, and means this is undoubtedly a deal the club must be completing in the transfer window. In Mount, Anthony, and Sancho United have wasted eye-watering cash on attacking flops, but Gibbs-White could be the man to reverse that trend.
Rasmus Hojlund to be replaced by Harry Kane after long goal drought
Harry Kane
Rasmus Hojlund ended a 21-game goal drought when he opened the scoring for Amorim’s side at the King Power Stadium at the weekend. Ultimately though, to go that long without a goal is not good enough for a first choice centre-forward, and he has never been the most prolific of strikers. That means it is essential the club bring in a more reliable goalscorer, and according to Brown INEOS have decided to move for Harry Kane come the summer window, at the expense of pursuing Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace. It’s impossible to guarantee goals from any striker signing, but if there was one man to back to succeed back in the Premier League it’s the England captain, likely having finally won a major trophy with Bayern Munich this term.
If Kane can indeed end his wait for a trophy with Bayern Munich this season, he could be open to a return to the Premier League where he will still have eyes on Alan Shearer’s individual goalscoring record. He may also view Man United as a club where he will get the chances he needs to get those goals, meaning he may be the ideal target to lead the line at Old Trafford.