Manchester United are now determined to sign a “tremendous” midfielder, with it being revealed they are willing to make a £61m offer.

Man Utd want to sign new midfielder with Mainoo heading for exit

It has now emerged that Kobbie Mainoo could now be heading for the exit door, having failed to start a single Premier League game this season, with Napoli close to getting a deal over the line after a recent round of talks.

Ruben Amorim clearly isn’t fully convinced by Mainoo, having opted to give Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro the nod in the middle of the park for the most part, and doubts remain over Manuel Ugarte, who received heavy criticism after the EFL Cup defeat against Grimsby Town.

With that in mind, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new midfielder, and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton recently moved ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba on the list of targets.

According to a report from Spain, however, a different midfielder has now emerged as Man United’s top target, with it being revealed they are willing to make a €70m (£61m) offer for Athletic Club star Oihan Sancet.

United are determined to get a deal for Sancet done, as they believe he fits their desired profile perfectly, and scouts have been sent to watch the Spaniard in action on a number of occasions.

The attacking midfielder hasn’t ruled out an exit, but his current employers are working on a new contract, in an effort to stave off interest from elsewhere.

Sancet enjoyed "tremendous" 2024-25 campaign

Many of the Red Devils’ other midfield targets, such as Baleba, Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, play in slightly deeper midfield roles, but the Athletic Club star has an attacking mindset, enjoying a fantastic 2024-25 campaign.

Indeed, the 25-year-old was a constant threat on the front foot in La Liga, amassing 20 goals and assists in all competitions, which impressed Athletic Club sporting director Rafa Alkorta, who described him as “tremendous”.

Sancet clearly has the ability to succeed at Old Trafford, but given his attacking mindset, the Pamplona-born star wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for Mainoo, who appears to be heading for the exit door.

Anderson, on the other hand, is accustomed to playing in a deeper midfield role, and the Nottingham Forest star recently displayed his ability to control matches, in what was a remarkable performance for England against Latvia.

Statistic

Number completed

Accurate passes

121/130 (93%)

Key passes

2

Tackles

4

Duels won

7