Managing Man Utd as Casemiro replacement found and £155m double raid pulled off

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Manchester United officially booked their place in the Champions League next season with a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. But the club face significant work this summer if they harbour ambitions of challenging for European honours.

Michael Carrick has restored belief at the club since taking charge on an interim basis in January following Ruben Amorim's sacking . They are comfortably positioned in third in the Premier League table as they approach their final three fixtures against Sunderland , Nottingham Forest and Brighton .

Yet substantial improvement is required in midfield and at the back if the Reds are to maintain their progress in 2026/27. Casemiro is poised to leave the club when his deal runs out in the coming months, while Luke Shaw is approaching the latter stages of his career.

Here's how Mirror Football would tackle matters in the United hot seat this summer...

It's evident that United must bolster two areas: left-back and midfield. While Shaw has been an important figure in 2025/26, featuring 35 times in the Premier League alone, the Englishman is out of contract at 31 next summer.

Approaching the twilight years of his career, the Reds would be prudent to identify reinforcements in the forthcoming months. Lewis Hall has been a revelation in an otherwise disappointing Newcastle United outfit this season, delivering dependable displays on the left flank.

Considering that Newcastle are unlikely to feature in any European competition next season, Hall may seek pastures new in the coming months. The challenge is that any transaction will prove expensive and the Magpies will probably demand a sum of around £55million for him.

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That valuation could climb even higher, depending on rival interest from elsewhere. Like Hall, Sandro Tonali's prospects at his current club are also uncertain. The central midfielder has regularly been amongst the first names on Eddie Howe's team sheet when available.

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Far too talented to be restricted to purely domestic football, Tonali could also be destined for departure in the forthcoming months if recent rumours are to be believed. But with Arsenal and Manchester City also reportedly keen on the 25-year-old, who remains under contract until 2028, United may need to stump up an elevated fee to prise Newcastle's crown jewel away from St James' Park.

Newcastle are said to value Tonali at around £100m, according to reports. And while there may be considerably cheaper alternatives available elsewhere, United would do well to meet whatever asking price the Magpies set if they're genuinely committed to securing the finest possible successor to Casemiro .

Despite an extremely successful season-long loan spell at Barcelona , Marcus Rashford's long-term future away from United remains far from settled. While the La Liga giants hold an option to make his switch permanent within weeks for approximately £26m, it is believed Barca could choose to redirect those funds towards securing a replacement for Robert Lewandowski .

While Rashford has demonstrated he can perform through the centre, his preferred berth is on the left-hand side, a position largely occupied by Raphinha . It's an outside chance, and ultimately entirely down to Rashford himself, but there could be nothing lost in reintegrating him into the first team this summer.

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The 28-year-old has repeatedly shown United precisely what they've been missing down the left flank throughout a sparkling campaign in Spain, with Matheus Cunha arguably better suited to a traditional No. 10 role or as a second striker. With Amorim no longer with United, Rashford could flourish once again at Old Trafford.

It would be easy to dismiss Paul Merson's suggestion that Cole Palmer will have no desire to remain at Chelsea should they fail to qualify for Champions League football. The attacking midfielder is the lifeblood of the club and appears thoroughly at home in west London.

Yet with Chelsea having lost their last six Premier League matches and performing a U-turn on their confidence in Liam Rosenior , several key figures may be eyeing the exit, Palmer amongst them. The England star was linked with a surprise switch to United during the January transfer window before Rosenior declared him untouchable .

But much like Tonali, he will be keen to consistently test himself at the very highest level throughout his career. Naturally, should United succeed in their pursuit of Hall and Tonali or players commanding similar fees this summer, splashing out on Palmer could prove a step too far for the board.

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That's particularly relevant given Sir Jim Ratcliffe's well-known reputation for tightening the purse strings, combined with a current valuation of around £150m.

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