Manchester United shows interest in two surprising players from the Championship
Manchester United have already picked their first three transfer targets under Michael Carrick’s leadership.
Back in January, Carrick, a former United player, stepped in as interim manager after Ruben Amorim was let go. Since then, the 44-year-old has done an amazing job, guiding the team to finish third and secure a spot in the Champions League.
Carrick has won 11 of his 16 games so far and was even shortlisted for the Premier League’s manager of the season award. So, it wasn’t surprising when United made him their permanent head coach with a two-year contract.
Now, Carrick is moving quickly to bring in new players. Atalanta midfielder Ederson looks set to be the first signing, with talks underway for a £38.8 million deal. The Brazilian player is excited about the move, especially after United sent people to Italy last week to discuss Ederson and other possible signings.
There’s been a lot of talk about United signing several midfielders this summer, including Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Elliot Anderson. But for now, Ederson is the closest to joining, while the club carefully thinks over the costs for the others.
United aren’t just looking abroad, though. They’re also checking out some players in England’s second tier. One target is Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, who played a key role in helping his team reach the Championship play-offs this season.
Charles, valued at £25 million, was signed by United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, after coming through Manchester City’s youth system. Another player United likes is Leicester City defender Ben Nelson. He’s 6ft 5in tall, 22 years old, and can also play left back. Nelson has been linked to City and Chelsea before.
While Charles and Nelson might not start right away, they’re seen as young, promising players who can add depth to the squad now and possibly become regular starters in the future.