Manchester United are close to officially appointing Mauricio Pochettino as head coach. The club are expected to announce Michael Carrick's departure on Thursday, after which the Argentine is set to leave the United States national team and take charge of the 20-time English champions.
Although United will attempt to make targeted additions in January, the bulk of their transfer rebuild has been put back until summer 2027. Sports Mole have identified five key signings who could transform the team to meet Pochettino's requirements ahead of the 2027/28 season.
The shortlist for a major rebuild
Alex Scott (Bournemouth): Despite the summer midfield signings of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, the balance in the centre of the pitch remains far from ideal. With the injured Manuel Ugarte likely to leave and Bruno Fernandes' future uncertain, the 23-year-old Englishman is seen as an ideal fit. Bournemouth value the midfielder at around £80 million, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool also in the race for him.
Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich): The versatile 18-year-old attacker is viewed as a long-term replacement for Fernandes. The German has three goals and two assists in 14 appearances for Vincent Kompany's team this season, taking his total to 12 goals and 10 assists in 54 games for Bayern. The club value him at around £50 million and could let him leave in 2027.
Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter Milan): Benjamin Sesko's injury record has prompted United to look for a powerful striker. The 21-year-old Italy forward, who is 190 cm tall and has four goals and two assists in 13 appearances this season, was watched by United scouts last weekend. Inter want around £84 million for the striker, who is also attracting interest from Arsenal.
Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton): United will revisit their interest in the 24-year-old centre-back, having had two bids for him rejected in 2024. With Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez expected to leave in 2027, strengthening the defence will be a priority, although Branthwaite is under contract with Everton until 2030.
Lewis Hall (Newcastle United): A move fell through in the summer, and the 22-year-old Englishman signed a contract extension until 2031 in September. Nevertheless, with Luke Shaw likely to leave, left-back remains a critical position, and Hall himself is very keen on a move to Old Trafford.
