Man Utd devise three-man shortlist as Ineos press on with successful transfer blueprint

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For the first time in a long time, Manchester United can look back at a summer transfer window and think 'yes, we got that right'.

We've had a few false dawns in that department. The summer of 2021, capped by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo , also saw Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane join. It looked great on paper, but didn't manifest well on the pitch.

Other transfer windows haven't looked great from the start, or had an element of panic to them, and that proved to be the case before too long. If United have got one thing horribly wrong in the post- Sir Alex Ferguson era, it is recruitment.

The summer of 2025, though, is perhaps the best for a good decade. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha , off the back of impressive seasons for Brentford and Wolves respectively, have been shining lights and crucial in United's rise up the table. Benjamin Sesko is looking more and more impactful while Senne Lammens, an unknown quantity before signing, is now looking like a gem that no one else saw.

It owed, in part, to Ineos making it clear that they wanted their recruitment policy to favour players who had proven themselves in the Premier League . That is why over £120million was spent on Mbeumo and Cunha, with both men looking more than good value.

And so Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co look set to keep it up. Don't change what doesn't need fixing after all. And while attack was the priority last summer, this time round it is midfield. Casemiro is leaving and he could be followed by the likes of Manuel Ugarte, a foreign import who hasn't worked out. Where have we heard that before?

Three men have long been cited as potential arrivals - all of them proving leading lights in England's top flight. Newcastle's Sandro Tonali, Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace maestro Adam Wharton are all heavily linked with moves to Manchester.

It represents a shift from the days when United were looking to spend mammoth amounts on Frenkie de Jong, only to miss out. There's nothing to say the Dutch star, who has enjoyed a brilliant career, wouldn't have been a quality buy for United. But there is an element of the unknown that comes with changing leagues.

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Ratcliffe and Co. look determined to cut through that variable and very much go after players they've seen do the business in England. After all, that method has landed them 17 goals from Mbeumo and Cunha this year - some of them proving to be match winners.

Tonali has often showcased his quality since joining Newcastle for £55m, featuring in wins at Old Trafford in the past. Anderson is a player who will likely be courted by both Manchester clubs and Nottingham Forest will be determined to maximise their profit if they do, as expected, move him on.

Wharton's rise has been mega since he moved to Selhurst Park from Blackburn Rovers. England honours and an FA Cup have followed for the 22-year-old, who has looked at home every time he's been presented with a new challenge.

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Whoever comes in may well compliment Kobbie Mainoo , who has been restored to the starting picture since the sacking of Ruben Amorim. The former United boss was desperate to add a midfielder but ultimately ran out of cash last summer after spending £200m on his frontline.

He never got to see the best of his attacking trio, which was partly down to the system he continued to employ. Michael Carrick has got them purring and whoever the club's manager is next season could further benefit from a quality midfielder if the Red Devils can get a deal over the line.

They'll likely need to be Champions League quality, but Ineos' transfer preference means that any new arrival to the middle of the park is likely to have a body of Premier League work that can further whet the appetite at Old Trafford.