Star striker choosing Chelsea shows Man Utd's new weakness in transfer market

Manchester United’s summer transfer window could see them miss out on star names due to financial restrictions.

Chelsea's surprising move to hijack United's summer move for 17-year-old Geovany Quenda is one that came out of nowhere. But in reality, it's an outcome that United will have to get used to.

It's understood that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Sporting to sign the teenager with him spending the 2025/26 season on loan in Lisbon before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2026 for a fee in the region of €45million-€50m (£37.9m-£42.1m), a figure not far from what United proposed.

United is grappling with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), according to football finance expert Stefan Borson.

The Red Devils’ financial limitations were evident in January, when they managed only two signings—Lecce wing-back Patrick Dorgu for an initial £25m (potentially rising with add-ons) and young Arsenal centre-back Ayden Heaven for an undisclosed fee—while Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia departed on loan.

Last summer, United spent nearly £200m on five new additions, including Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte.

However, this spending was only possible after raising over £100m through the sales of academy graduates, such as Jadon Sancho, who joined Chelsea on loan with a £25m obligation to buy, alongside Scott McTominay, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Willy Kambwala, Hannibal Mejbri, Facundo Pellistri, Mason Greenwood, Alvaro Fernandez, and Donny van de Beek.

Borson, speaking to Football Insider, has cautioned that United may need to offload high-wage players in the summer to comply with PSR and create room for new signings. Casemiro, the 33-year-old midfielder earning around £350,000 per week, is a prime candidate for departure, with his performances failing to justify his substantial salary.

“United might look at Casemiro in the summer and consider a deal similar to what they did with Sancho last year,” Borson explained. “Sancho’s transfer fee was low, but it removed a significant portion of his wages from the books, even though United are still covering half his salary this season.”

“For Casemiro, securing a fee of £20m-£25m in the summer would be a solid outcome for United, especially given the PSR benefits and the chance to offload his wages entirely.”

Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the squad he inherited, recently telling BBC Sport that several players signed under the previous regime are “not good enough” and “overpaid,” specifically naming Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Antony, and Sancho. This stance underscores the need for significant changes in the summer transfer window.

Currently languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, United face a daunting challenge to qualify for European competitions next season.

Their only realistic chance of silverware this term is the Europa League, where they face Real Sociedad in the last 16 second leg on Thursday night, with the tie level at 1-1. However, their summer transfer plans will be crucial to turning around their fortunes.

Manager Ruben Amorim is expected to lead a major squad overhaul in the summer, but United’s ability to fund new additions will depend heavily on their PSR position. Another firesale could be necessary, with the futures of several stars, including Rashford, hanging in the balance.

The club’s financial constraints mean that offloading high earners like Casemiro will be essential to creating space for fresh talent and rebuilding the squad for the challenges ahead.