Manchester United will not prioritise centre-back signings this summer, according to journalist Sully, with INEOS directing their recruitment budget towards midfield, a left back, and a potential goalkeeper – even as three of the club’s five senior central defenders carry meaningful fitness concerns heading into pre-season.
United finished third in the Premier League last season and have wasted little time identifying where the squad requires surgery. A fee has already been agreed for Éderson (26), the Brazilian midfielder representing the first confirmed business of what is shaping up to be a heavily midfield-focused window. The defensive line, despite its problems, is not where INEOS intend to spend their most urgent attention.
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What the report says – and why the numbers on paper are misleading
Sully’s assessment is direct: “Centre back is a position which isn’t as high on the priority list as others, but it is being assessed. When you look at our squad on paper, we have five senior centre backs: Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martínez, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, and Leny Yoro.” On paper, that is depth. In practice, it is considerably thinner.
Martínez and Maguire (33) both carry persistent injury histories, and de Ligt is currently recovering from back surgery carried out in May – with estimates placing his return-to-play timeline at up to ten months, which would rule him out for the entirety of pre-season and potentially a substantial portion of the opening campaign. As Sully acknowledged, “there is an argument to be made that Martínez and Maguire have injury issues and de Ligt is still in rehab, so a centre-back could be needed, but as things stand, other positions are above it.”
The honest read of United’s centre-back depth is that it rests largely on Leny Yoro (20), who started 37 of 38 Premier League matches last season to become the club’s most consistently available defender, and 19-year-old Ayden Heaven, who logged 14 league appearances. Both performed creditably – but asking that pair to carry the defensive unit through another full season, with de Ligt’s return uncertain and Maguire entering the final stretch of his contract, is a significant gamble.
Where the spending is actually going – and the financial logic behind the restraint
The five existing senior centre-backs have cost United roughly £235 million in transfer fees and account for around £650,000 per week in wages combined. That context does much of the explanatory work. Omar Berrada has been clear that INEOS will be disciplined and deliberate in how they deploy resources this window, and committing further outlay to a position that already represents one of the most expensive investments in the squad – however injury-prone – is a difficult case to make internally.
Midfield is the genuine priority. United have agreed personal terms with Mateus Fernandes (21) and are in active negotiations with West Ham, while Aurélien Tchouaméni and Alex Scott have also been identified as targets. Left back cover – with Lewis Hall linked – and a potential replacement for Altay Bayindir round out the immediate shopping list. Sully’s position is that a centre-back name or two will be assessed, but only after those higher priorities are resolved.
What this means for United’s defensive planning – and when that could change
Maguire and Martínez are both out of contract at the end of the coming season, which points towards 2026 as the more logical moment for a significant defensive reset rather than an expensive addition now. Multiple reports have indicated INEOS are already planning for that possibility, with a more decisive move in central defence deferred to the next window.
Alas, that planning relies on Yoro and Heaven remaining fit and effective across the full campaign – a considerable dependency for a club with aspirations in both the Premier League and Europe. It remains to be seen whether de Ligt’s recovery runs to schedule and Maguire and Martínez stay available, or whether a serious setback forces United back into the market before the window closes and turns a considered deferral into an emergency scramble.