Manchester United have picked out their top 3 Casemiro replacements

Manchester United are poised to become the headline spenders in the summer 2026 midfield market, with a €200 million war chest ring-fenced to refresh the engine room and ultimately succeed veteran anchor Casemiro, according to a report by Diario AS journalist Edu Burgos.

Burgos writes that United have trimmed an original five-man shortlist to a final three, all of whom currently ply their trade in the Premier League. Newcastle United pair Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes occupy two of the coveted spots, having long been viewed as the division’s most coveted midfield operators. Completing the podium is Elliot Anderson, the 22-year-old Nottingham Forest sensation whose box-to-box impact this season has elevated him into the cross-hairs of both Old Trafford and the Etihad, setting the stage for a Manchester duel should United firm up their interest.

The two names who remain on the periphery are Crystal Palace holding midfielder Adam Wharton and Wolves’ Brazilian destroyer Joao Gomes, either of whom could yet vault into the top tier with a strong finish to the campaign.

Notably absent from the updated pecking order is Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, once labelled the dream acquisition ahead of 2025-26 but now seemingly out of favour after an underwhelming year on the south coast.

While United’s priority is a marquee No. 6, the scale of the budget leaves open the tantalising prospect of a double coup, with Tonali and Anderson floated as a potential pairing that would instantly transform the club’s midfield dynamic. Regardless of which names are inked, Burgos concludes that United are unlikely to misstep with any of the five profiled targets, each of whom offers a distinct blend of steel, progression and Premier League-proven quality.