Manchester United will be looking to build upon their best season in years this campaign after the excellent work of then-interim boss Michael Carrick saw the Red Devils finish third in the Premier League.

Carrick has since been given the job on a permanent basis and is leading what supporters will hope will prove to be a big summer for United as they look to get closer to returning to past glories.

Already, a number of big names in England and across Europe have been linked with a potential switch to Old Trafford this summer.

West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes is amongst the players who have been most strongly reported as a serious target for United this summer. However, if the Red Devils can’t secure the Portuguese’s signature, a recent report has suggested that there are still viable alternatives.

Latest on Man United’s midfielder search

via Reuters

Speaking on The United Stand, GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs reinforced that Fernandes is still United’s “leading target” this summer, but there is still interest in both Carlos Baleba and Sander Berge if they don’t sign the West Ham midfielder.

“Absolutely, Mateus Fernandes leading target [for Man Utd] at the moment,” Jacobs said. “If they don’t get him, I still think there’s legs to the Carlos Baleba situation and keep an eye on Sander Berge, who’s another player that Manchester United have discussed in recent weeks.”

Fernandes was one of the few star players in a poor West Ham side relegated from the Premier League last season, scoring three goals and providing four assists. Additionally, the 21-year-old had scored four goals and registered four assists in the campaign prior for a Southampton side that finished bottom as one of the worst ever Premier League teams.

The Hammers are in a position where they can demand a significant transfer fee, having only signed Fernandes last summer, with the Portuguese’s contract running until 2030.

United prepared to revisit pursuit of Carlos Baleba

If Fernandes doesn’t come to Old Trafford this summer, United appear ready to revisit their interest in Baleba, who the Red Devils tried to sign from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that there is already an agreement in place over personal terms for a move, dating back to the 2025 interest.

The Seagulls stood firm that the Cameroonian wasn’t for sale on the back of an impressive season in the Premier League. However, the 22-year-old’s campaign last term was less impressive which could subsequently change Brighton’s stance if a club comes knocking.

Meanwhile, Berge is at the other end of his twenties at 28 and has just completed his second season at Fulham. The Norwegian has played 103 Premier League matches over the past three campaigns, having signed for the Cottagers from Burnley in 2024.

Long-term manager Marco Silva left Craven Cottage earlier this summer to join Benfica and it is expected that former Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa will be taking over in the dugout.

Like Baleba, Berge is a player that has previously been linked with United and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that interest reignited this summer.

There was a time when Ansu Fati looked destined to be a standout star at a for both Barcelona and Spain.

These days that role belongs to Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation who shone at Euro 2024, while Fati’s name barely comes up in conversations about the national team anymore.

Fati’s most recent Spain cap dates back to October 2023, and he wasn’t in contention to be picked for this summer’s World Cup. Yet the player once tipped as the successor to Lionel Messi hasn’t disappeared from the spotlight entirely.

He’s simply found a very different way of grabbing attention, one that has left plenty of supporters doing a double take. At 23, with his football career still very much alive, Fati appears to be getting started on a second career.

Ansu Fati’s Early Promise at Barcelona

Fati arrived at Barcelona at 10-years-old and quickly tore up the club’s record books, becoming their youngest ever goalscorer and the youngest player to score in the Champions League, a mark that still hasn’t been beaten. Messi himself once praised the youngster, insisting he “has everything to be a great player.”

But fitness problems repeatedly halted his rise. A serious meniscus injury in 2020 kept him out for nine months and a string of hamstring and calf issues that disrupted his development for years. He’s went on loan to the Premier League with Brighton two seasons ago, then endured a frustrating return to Barcelona under Hansi Flick, before he rediscovered some rhythm last season on loan at Monaco, scoring 12 goals in 30 outings.

He’s now closing in on a permanent move there, with the French club expected to trigger their €11 million buy option.

Ansu Fati’s Surprise Move

Away from the pitch, Fati has been busy in the music industry. He recently shared a clip of his debut single, “Sea Como Sea,” with his 2.2 million TikTok followers, and the post has already pulled in more than three million views.

The comments section soon filled up. “How do I explain to my kids that this was supposed to be the next Messi?” one fan wrote, while another joked: “Wonder Kid to Wizkid.” A third added: “Future Ballon d’Or winner now looking for Grammy.”

Fati has signed a global distribution deal with Music Brokers, part of Sony Music, recording the track in Nice with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, and producer Gambinoalaprod. His sound mixes Afrobeats Latino, reggaeton and Amapiano, and on Spotify.

Ronaldinho’s love affair with a football isn’t over. The Brazilian icon, now 46, has put pen to paper on a deal with Ravenna, the Serie C outfit based in the north of Italy.

Whether he actually pulls on a shirt for a competitive fixture remains a different question entirely, and even the club’s own hierarchy can’t seem to agree on the answer.

News of the move broke via Gazzetta dello Sport, with the report revealing Ronaldinho will be officially unveiled at a glitzy event in Miami on the 23rd of June. The former Ballon d’Or winner was in a typically upbeat mood when discussing the move, and his words have only added to the excitement among fans hoping for one more glimpse of the magic.

Ronaldinho and Ravenna Confirm Stunning Capture

“I can’t wait to be able to dance on the ball again to write a new story together with Ignazio and the whole Cipriani family. Football has always been a source of joy for me, I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna.”

Club owner Ignazio Cipriani, who split his time between Italy and a long stint living in the United States, couldn’t hide his excitement at landing one of his footballing heroes. “I spent 24 years of my life in the United States, but I still consider Ravenna my home. Acquiring Ronaldinho is something absolutely extraordinary for the club; he was my idol, and his impact on football goes beyond what he did on the pitch.”

Mixed Messages Surrounding Ronaldinho’s Actual Role

Vice-president Ariedo Braida, who signed Ronaldinho for AC Milan in 2008, initially poured cold water on any playing involvement:

Yet in a separate interview, Braida left the door open: “Ronaldinho is a timeless champion,” he said. “Will he play? We’ll see, but it’s not ruled out.”

The World Cup winner’s last competitive outing came for Fluminense in 2015, after a career spanning Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and Milan, where he scored 26 goals in 95 games.