Manchester United to continue Premier League-focused transfer strategy after Mbeumo and Cunha success

• Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada says the club will continue targeting players with Premier League experience in future transfer windows.
• United have already agreed a £35m deal for Atalanta midfielder Éderson and are exploring moves for Mateus Fernandes and Lewis Hall.
• Berrada also reiterated the club’s desire to keep captain Bruno Fernandes amid ongoing speculation about his future.

Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada has revealed the club will continue to prioritise players with proven Premier League experience in the transfer market after the successful arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha helped fuel a strong second half of the season.

United are already moving aggressively ahead of the new campaign, having agreed a £35 million deal with Atalanta for Brazil international midfielder Éderson. The club are also exploring a move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes and remain attentive to developments surrounding Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall.

Speaking on the club’s Inside Carrington podcast, Berrada suggested last summer’s recruitment strategy provided a blueprint for future windows, with United seeking a balance between established domestic performers and emerging talent from abroad.

“The template for what we did last summer will be replicated in many ways,” Berrada said.

“You always go into a window and you don’t know how you’re going to come out of it. You have to be really prepared. You have to have a clear plan and know exactly what positions you’re looking to strengthen.

“We have a clear plan. I think what we saw last season is a good way forward for us, which is we want a mix of experience and youth.

“We want a mix of players who have demonstrated they can perform in the Premier League and perhaps also players who are doing very well outside the Premier League.

“We will always do it within our terms and ensuring that whatever decision we take is not just for the short term but also the long term.”

There is a familiar logic to United’s approach. Too often in recent years, expensive arrivals have needed lengthy adaptation periods before finding their feet in English football. The immediate impact made by Mbeumo and Cunha has reinforced the value of signing players already accustomed to the demands and intensity of the Premier League.

Midfield remains a key area of focus following United’s return to the Champions League, with Éderson expected to add energy, physicality and ball-winning qualities to Michael Carrick’s side.

Alongside strengthening the squad, United are also determined to retain one of their most influential figures.

Bruno Fernandes continues to attract interest, having been linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal last summer. The Portugal international has not fully closed the door on a future departure, but Berrada made it clear the club hopes their captain remains at Old Trafford.

“In Bruno we have a fantastic captain, absolutely fantastic,” Berrada said.

“We’d like him to stay, of course we do. He’s had a great season on the pitch.

“More importantly, I think he’s shown to everybody that he’s a great leader. People don’t see what he does off the pitch. He represents the club really well. He understands the values of the club.”

Fernandes has remained the heartbeat of United through periods of turbulence and transition, with his leadership becoming increasingly important both on and off the pitch.

The mood around Old Trafford is notably brighter than it was earlier in the season. Under Michael Carrick, United enjoyed a remarkable turnaround, climbing to third place in the Premier League and securing a return to Europe’s elite competition.

Carrick’s appointment as permanent head coach has provided stability, while the club hierarchy believes the foundations are finally in place for sustained progress.

“I am quite optimistic and I think we are in a very good position,” Berrada said.

“We’re in a good place after a difficult period. We’re heading in the right direction, we have the right people in place.

“We have the right ingredients and right ecosystem around the club to put us in a position where I think we’ll be very successful.”

For a club that has spent much of the past decade searching for direction, the message is clear. United believe they have found a formula that works and, with Champions League football back on the agenda, they are preparing to double down on it this summer.