Manchester United's midfield summer has moved from planning to cover-up. Manuel Ugarte's knee injury has landed on top of missed targets, and the club now look short of senior central options before testing resumes on 9 July. The situation is awkward because United went into the summer with Kobbie Mainoo as their only recognised central midfielder after Casemiro's contract expired on 30 June and Ugarte was expected to be sold.
Carrick's short midfield group
United are yet to confirm the extent of Ugarte's knee ligament damage, but it is thought he suffered cruciate damage that would sideline him for the rest of 2026 at least. Ugarte described it to the BBC as "the most serious injury a footballer can face". That is a brutal blow for a squad already thin in the middle, especially with Michael Carrick's senior midfield options for 9 July expected to be extremely limited and Mason Mount viewed as more of an offensive player.
United's results have not collapsed, which is why this is still a squad-building problem rather than an emergency on the pitch. They finished third in the Premier League and arrive with five-game league form of WWDWW. The problem is what happens next in recruitment, where the market is crowded and the club are no longer choosing from a position of comfort.
The names United are now looking at
The BBC's reporting has put Alex Scott and Andrey Santos near the front of the conversation. Scott made 37 league appearances last term as Bournemouth finished sixth, their highest ever league position, to secure Europa League qualification. Santos made 43 appearances for Chelsea last season and could be available for around £50m.
BBC Sport reporter Nizaar Kinsella said "a number of sides are understood to be interested in Santos". That leaves United having to judge not just quality, but availability and price, with both players looking like the kind of younger midfield options the club had hoped to line up earlier in the summer.
Ederson is also in the mix at a different stage of the process, with United having agreed a £35m deal with Atalanta for him, although his medical will not happen until Brazil are out of the competition.
The case for Scott and Santos is fairly plain. Scott is playing regular football and Santos is producing enough to draw attention. United's need is immediate, but after Ugarte's injury and the earlier missed moves, the summer has become less about a perfect rebuild and more about finding two or three workable answers before the group gets any thinner.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →