Fabrizio Romano reveals the blockbuster signing Man Utd missed out on during the summer transfer window
Manchester United made five signings during the summer transfer window, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club missed out on an attacker due to a failed attempt to sign him in the off-season.
This summer, United focused on strengthening various positions in their first-team squad as Erik ten Hag aims to build on last season’s FA Cup triumph and secure a spot in the Champions League.
They brought in Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5 million and successfully signed French defender Leny Yoro from Lille for an initial fee of £52 million, beating Real Madrid to the player.
Additionally, United completed a deal with Bayern Munich for defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, costing around £50 million for both. On transfer deadline day, they secured Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial £42 million.
Currently, United sits 10th in the Premier League after four matches, recently achieving a 3-0 victory against Southampton. Ten Hag’s team followed that performance with a resounding 7-0 win over League One Barnsley in the League Cup, prompting the opposing manager to express his frustration at his players.
This Saturday, United will face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, aiming for consecutive Premier League wins. However, not all desired signings were secured, as their interest in Xavi Simons highlights.
The Netherlands international, who played at Euro 2024 and scored against England, is with PSG after transferring from Barcelona in 2022. After a season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, he returned to PSG but was immediately loaned to RB Leipzig, where he is again for the current season.
Romano indicated that United inquired about Simons’ availability before the Euros to gauge his interest in a move to England. Ultimately, the transfer did not happen, as the player preferred to return to Germany, with a potential move to the Premier League being a possibility in the summer of 2025.
