Omar Berrada says Man Utd have plan in place for ambitious transfer window
The Red Devils are looking to rebuild the side after their worst top-flight season since they were relegated in 1973-74, which was compounded by last week's Europa League final loss to Tottenham in Bilbao.
That damaging defeat meant United missed out on silverware and Champions League qualification, worth an estimated £100million, and the club have wasted little time trying to improve Ruben Amorim's side.
Cunha looks set to be first through the door as the PA news agency understands Wolves granted them permission to schedule a medical and finalise a deal for the Brazil international, having met his £62.5million release clause.
It could start a busy summer in terms of incomings and outgoings at Old Trafford, with chief executive Berrada confident about United's plans.
'I can't talk about specifics, but I can say that we've been planning for many months now,' he told MUTV. 'We were ready for all the different scenarios, so now we know what we need to do.
'We have a very clear idea of where we need to invest in the squad to improve, so (technical director) Jason (Wilcox), his team, Ruben have been in talks for many months.
'Now it's a question of executing that plan and doing it in a way that is prudent but at the same time with ambition.'
Defeat in Malaysia.#MUFC || #MUTOUR25
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 28, 2025
Berrada was speaking on the first stop of United's post-season trip to Asia, which is set to bring the club around £8million.
Amorim's men began the tour with a shock 1-0 defeat to the ASEAN All-Stars in hot and humid Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with the side heading to Hong Kong for another friendly on Friday.
United's defeat in Malaysia came a week to the day since their Europa League final loss in Spain and just three days on from beating Aston Villa 2-0 in their Premier League finale at Old Trafford.
The result saw the Red Devils finish 15th, with Amorim telling fans that 'the good days are coming' as the head coach apologised for a wretched campaign during an impassioned end-of-season address.
United chief executive Berrada said: 'Ruben spoke really well on Sunday and he's right: the past is the past.
'It's important to learn. Now we need to stay together, stay united and I can only say again thank you to the fans.
'The owner has also been very supportive in this transition year and now we just need to work really hard and do everything we can to bring the club back to the top.
'I'm very excited about what's coming ahead of us. Like Ruben said, now we just need to work really hard as a unit, as a club and I'm sure the good days will be back, as he said.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Viktor Gyokeres has an incredible goal record and is a ready-made star, but Benjamin Sesko is proven in a major European league and has huge potential... so who should Arsenal sign this summer?
In an ideal world for Arsenal, Aston Villa would have beaten Man United on the final day of the season to edge Newcastle out of the picture in the race for the Champions League. There is no particular malice behind that thought, although a demoralising Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by the Magpies means Eddie Howe 's side aren't viewed particularly fondly by Gunners fans. But rather Toon striker Alexander Isak was viewed as a dream summer target for Mikel Arteta as he looks to reinforce his attacking options, yet given Champions League football will be returning to St James' Park, any move can now be ruled out. Nevertheless, it is still expected to be a big few months for Arsenal, boosted by a strong PSR position - and purse strings will be loosened as they try to strengthen across a variety of positions. There is no doubt that No 9 is the biggest priority though, with the lack of a quality option playing a big part in the third successive second place finish for Arteta's side as they drew 14 of their 38 Premier League games to finish 10 points adrift of Liverpool. Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko are the two main contenders, but Arsenal fans and those inside the club are torn on who would be the better option. Both Gyokeres and Sesko are top class strikers in their own right and each have plenty of positives - and impressive goal records - to boost their case to Arsenal's recruitment team. On the one hand, a move for Sesko would make sense given the Slovenian star has been a long-term target. The Gunners have previously done much of the groundwork on a potential deal, having been close to signing him last summer before the player became unsure over how much game time he would get. Sesko has since netted 26 goals for club and country this season and at 21, the striker, who turns 22 on Saturday, presents an ideal profile for future growth. A transfer to Arsenal also feels like the perfect next step for Sesko, who has carefully constructed his career to date. After moving to Red Bull Salzburg at 16, he initially impressed on loan at their sister club FC Liefering who play in the Austrian second tier. Two strong seasons saw him score 22 goals in 44 games when he then made the step up to Salzburg's first team to fill the void left by Erling Haaland's departure to Borussia Dortmund in 2020. Sesko thrived and in the summer of 2023 he had interest from several teams across Europe, before he ultimately chose to join RB Leipzig to stay within the Red Bull network. Sesko almost joined Arsenal last summer and the Gunners have done due diligence on him In Germany, Sesko has gained crucial experience in a major European league and performed well despite Leipzig enduring two difficult campaigns. In 2024-25 he netted 21 times in 45 games, even though Leipzig crashed out in the League Phase of the Champions League following seven defeats in eight games and finished seventh in the Bundesliga. Sesko's variety of goals are also an added positive for potential suitors, with the 21-year-old having netted just six times from the penalty spot this season. Sesko is strong with both feet and has scored multiple headers - and overall he has an impressive career record of 90 goals and 25 assists in 210 matches. His experience of the Champions League would also be useful to Arsenal, although he is yet to enjoy any real success in the competition. Across four seasons, Sesko has scored just six goals in 28 games. However, it must be noted that the 21-year-old has generally played for teams that have struggled in the Champions League and he did manage to net four times in eight matches this time around. But when Arsenal are weighing up whether or not to go for Sesko, who is valued at £92.5m, there are also several factors that may encourage them to go for Gyokeres. The Swedish forward has enjoyed an incredible two years at Sporting and he is widely expected to leave Portugal this summer. In fact, it is understood that Sporting are currently searching for a new striker to replace the former Brighton and Coventry frontman. The Portuguese side are demanding in excess of £70m, meaning the Swede's options are limited to a few clubs with the financial power and willingness to spend that on a player. But Arsenal are one such team, and new sporting director Andrea Berta is said to admire Gyokeres from his time working at Atletico Madrid. And you can see why, with Gyokeres possessing an superb record of 97 goals in 102 games since joining Sporting for a bargain £20.2m fee. A 2024-25 campaign that saw the Swede net 54 goals and add 13 assists in 52 games has meant Gyokeres' profile has risen exponentially, something that was particularly boosted by his Champions League form. On what was his first experience of the competition, Gyokeres scored six goals in eight games, included a superb hat-trick against Man City in November. His rise has been less serene than Sesko's, with the 26-year-old, whose birthday is next week, failing to make the grade at Brighton during a four-year spell that also saw him struggle on loan at Swansea. However, a flame was lit once he joined Coventry and 40 goals across two seasons as a permanent player earned Gyokeres a move to Sporting. Despite his incredible record, there are a few concerns surrounding Gyokeres, including the fact that he will be 27 at the start of next season, five years senior to Sesko. His struggles at Brighton, although they now seem irrelevant, do raise some questions given he has never played in a top five European league, something Sesko has done with the Bundesliga. Mail Sport has previously reported how this is a view echoed internally at Arsenal, with figures torn on whether the striker can hit the ground running in the Premier League. There is also the fact that 20 of his 54 goals this season were penalties, although given Gyokeres scored every spot kick, perhaps that is something to be viewed positively. He also struggled to assert himself during Sporting's 5-1 thrashing by Arsenal in the Champions League. Nevertheless, the Swede's international record is impressive, with Gyokeres having netted 15 times in 26 games in comparison to Sesko's 16 in 41 for Slovenia, although again the standard of their respective teams should be taken into account. Whatever they decide, it feels as if Arsenal will be getting a top quality striker this summer and one that they hope will take them to a trophy after more than five years. Both strikers have their qualities, with Gyokeres possessing an incredible goal record over the past two years. In fact, in 2024-25, the 26-year-old averaged a goal every 79 minutes and converted 56 per cent of his chances. This outperformed Sesko, whose goal-per-minute ratio is 156, while he has a conversation rate of 47.1 per cent. A caveat to that is the quality of their leagues and the fact Gyokeres had 3.9 shots per game compared to Sesko's 2.31. He also averaged 9.16 touches in the opposition box, almost three times that of the Slovenian's 3.29. Overall, it feels like although Sesko has a poorer goal record than his striking rival, the fact that he is proven in a major European league and on an upward curve is extremely appealing. Arsenal have also done plenty of due diligence on him as a target and they have been tracking the 21-year-old for a long-time. The Gunners have plenty of money to spend this summer and although Sesko is likely to be more expensive than Gyokeres, his physicality, age and potential mean Mail Sport favours him narrowly as the better option.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd 'confident' of landing Bryan Mbeumo in £50m deal as transfer plan clear
Manchester United are set for a busy summer in the transfer market and already a pattern is becoming clear at Old Trafford ahead of Ruben Amorim's first pre-season at the club Manchester United have moved on from Liam Delap and will now look to sign Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo in a £50million deal this summer. The Red Devils are growing increasingly confident of being able to lure the forward to Old Trafford after the striker indicated he wanted to move to the club. United will be required to fight off interest from the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal to secure the Cameroon international. Ruben Amorim is said to be keen to make Mbeumo, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League in 2024/25, an integral member of his team. The Red Devils have returned their attention to Mbeumo after missing out to Chelsea for Ipswich Town Forward Delap. The 22-year-old former Man City youngster is primed to be announced as the Blues' newest signing after undergoing his medical, with Chelsea having agreed to pay his £30m release clause. United will hope to continue to strengthen Amorim's hand after announcing their first deal of the summer of the weekend. The 13-times Premier League champions confirmed a deal for Matheus Cunha after agreeing a £62.5million deal with Wolves. The Brazil forward was present in Manchester over the weekend before departing for international duty. The club want to replenish their front line after failing to see a member of their squad reach double figures in the Premier League's goalscoring charts. But United's attention turning to Mbeumo also appears to suggest an emphasis on targeting Premier League talent. That would appear to see the club taking a different approach to recent seasons. Last summer saw some heavy spending as the likes of Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee were brought in from abroad and the season before that saw only Mason Mount arrive from England's top-flight. And in 2022/23, the signings of Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro stole the headlines, though United did take advantage of Christian Eriksen being available for free It perhaps comes as little surprise that the club would look from within the division after struggling to 15th in 2024/25. And United's issues were all the more evident domestically, as they earned their way to the final before coming unstuck against British opposition in Tottenham. United boss Amorim has previously highlighted why he believes issues have been found when playing more familiar opposition. "When you play against any team in England, the physicality is there," he said. "If you don't have physicality, you will struggle a lot. Antony is so much better now in Spain. There are many factors, but I guarantee you it's physicality." And bringing players in who already have Premier League experience, and have thrived in the environment, such as Cunha and Mbeumo, would not only improve the team but potentially require less time to adjust. After a dismal start for Amorim, he will hope such players at least offer part of the answer.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Chelsea accelerate efforts to sign Arsenal & Liverpool target 'in recent hours'
Chelsea have ramped up their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in the last few hours, according to reports in France. Ekitike joined Eintracht on a permanent basis from PSG last summer and the 22-year-old hit new heights across an eye-catching Bundesliga campaign, notching 15 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances. The forward earned himself plenty of admirers with his goalscoring exploits in his first full season in German football and speculation has been mounting that a big-money move could be around the corner. Arsenal and Liverpool have been keeping close tabs on Ekitike's progress and both clubs are believed to have made initial enquiries over a proposed bid for the Frenchman. But according to L'Equipe, Chelsea have attempted to steal a march on their Premier League rivals by accelerating their efforts to sign the attacker 'in recent hours'. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. The report claims Ekitike is considering his future and mulling over his options after being ruled out of France's European Under-21 Championship campaign this with a back problem. It's understood Eintracht are aware of the strong interest in Ekitike and have responded by slapping a £60million price tag on their prized possession. Ekitike's current contract in Frankfurt runs through to June 2029. Eintracht would be in line to make a significant profit from the sale of Ekitike considering they signed the striker from PSG for a fee of around £14m last summer. In a recent interview with Sport1, Eintracht's sporting director, Markus Krosche, confirmed Ekitike could be allowed to leave if the club's demands are met by a potential suitor. 'He's one of the most interesting strikers on the European market,' Krosche said. 'Hugo has to decide that [his future]. I'm glad we have him. 'If he decides otherwise, that's our belief: if a player develops faster than us, then we let him go – as long as our demands are met.' More Trending Chelsea are targeting Ekitike in addition to Ipswich striker Liam Delap, who is set to be announced by the west London giants imminently. Delap has agreed to a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge and joins the Europa Conference League winners for a fee of £30million. The Blues are eager to strengthen their attack with the addition of one or two genuine difference-makers to ease the pressure on Nicolas Jackson, who managed just ten league goals last term. Dario Essugo, 20, became Chelsea's first signing of the summer on Sunday, with the 20-year-old midfielder joining on an eight-year contract from Sporting. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: 'I'm pretty certain' – Gary Neville names four Man Utd players who must leave this summer MORE: Man Utd or Arsenal? Bryan Mbeumo makes huge decision over summer transfer MORE: Chelsea tipped to sell 'wonderful talent' Cole Palmer in shock transfer
