Manchester United are set to take on Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday’s Europa League final in a game which could play a role in shaping Ruben Amorim’s summer business
Manchester United are in line for a busy summer regardless of the result in the Europa League final, but all eyes are on Bilbao for now, Victory over Tottenham on Wednesday will bring a season of Champions League football, but if they lose then they won’t have European football of any kind in Ruben Amorim’s first full season in charge.
Neither United or Spurs had the best of preparation for the final. Amorim’s side lost 1-0 at Chelsea on Friday, while a heavily-rotated Spurs side fell to a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa.
While some transfer targets will prefer to wait until they know the result at San Mames, we’ve already seen some movement on at least one deal. United signed Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven at the end of the winter window, but this summer could end up being a great deal busier.
Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, Tom Heaton and Christian Eriksen are out of contract in June, and there’s every chance all four leave Old Trafford. They might not be the only ones, either, with questions over the future of goalkeepers Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
Matheus Cunha looks like becoming the first new face to join, with United ready to meet Wolves‘ asking price. That’s one of today’s lines as Mirror Football brings you the latest from around Old Trafford.
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Cunha’s decision speaks volumes
Matheus Cunha has shown his motivations by agreeing to join Manchester United without knowing if they will be in Europe next term. The Brazilian is poised to join from Wolves in a deal worth north of £60million, having added a release clause when he signed a contract extension at Molineux earlier in the season.
Cunha only got a limited taste of Champions League football at his previous clubs. He played twice in the competition for RB Leipzig and 10 times – mostly as a substitute – for Atletico Madrid, but missed out through injury when Atleti knocked United out of the competition in 2022.
He also played six Europa League group games for Leipzig in the 2018-19 season, scoring three times for the club. That wasn’t enough to get out of the group, though, with Red Bull Salzburg and Celtic finishing above them.
Ten Hag’s next job
Erik ten Hag isn’t Bayer Leverkusen’s top choice for the manager’s job, it has been claimed. However, according to Sky Germany, they may yet move for the former Manchester United boss if they are unable to land Cesc Fabregas.
Como boss Fabregas is the first choice for Leverkusen as they seek a replacement for Xabi Alonso. A former Spain team-mate of Fabregas in their playing days, Alonso is set to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
If Ten Hag misses out on the Leverkusen job, he may be tempted by a return to Ajax. Francesco Farioli has left the Dutch club after one season, after a late collapse saw them miss out on the Eredivisie title.
Wan-Bissaka sale questioned
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has won West Ham’s player of the year award in his first season with the club. The right-back was snapped up on a cut-price move from Manchester United last season, prompting some to query the wisdom in offloading him for such a small fee.
The former Crystal Palace man has been a regular for the Hammers since his £15m summer move. The London side have languished in the bottom half of the table, but did complete a league double over United – including a home win which led to the Red Devils dismissing Erik ten Hag.
“Always saw the value of the Spidey,” one of a number of comments from United fans read. “He was our best fullback who is clear of [Diogo[ Dalot and even [Luke] Shaw on a good day.”
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