Fabrizio Romano has poured cold water on the idea of Warren Zaïre-Emery as a live Manchester United move. His line was blunt enough, calling the Paris Saint Germain midfielder “kind of dream target than real target” for Manchester United, while also saying PSG are not planning to change anything in midfield.
Romano added that PSG are “very happy with the department they have” after a new deal for Fabian Ruiz. That is the main problem for United. Even if the admiration is real, the selling club does not sound interested in opening the door.
PSG's stance on Zaire-Emery
The older reporting around this chase helps explain why the story keeps coming back. United first explored signing Zaire-Emery in 2023, when he was 17. The player himself is still only 19, but the scale of his 2025/26 workload already makes him look like a first-team pillar rather than a speculative market opportunity. He made 54 appearances in the 2025/26 season and added 109 minutes at the World Cup for France.
The numbers do not suggest a player with spare time on his hands, and PSG's own position is the bigger point. They finished first in Ligue 1 with 76 points, and Romano's update fits that picture. Paris Saint Germain have little reason to weaken midfield depth, especially for a player they clearly rate.
United's more realistic midfield option
United are still expected to sign one more midfielder, but the current shape of the pursuit looks less glamorous and more practical. Romano said United had contacts with Manu Koné's camp last week, and those conversations are continuing. He also said the club still need to decide how much they can spend on a defensive midfielder before moving again.
That fits the rest of their summer business. United have already signed Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans for a combined £85m, which gives the club a clearer sense of what kind of money is already committed in midfield. The chase for Zaire-Emery may keep getting mentioned, but Romano's update points in a different direction, toward targets United can actually do something about.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
