Man Utd plan to sign two midfielders from three-man shortlist after Ederson and Andrey Santos decisions

Manchester United have drawn up a three-man midfield shortlist that includes Manu Kone and Alex Scott, with the Red Devils’ co-owners, INEOS, planning to sign two of them for Michael Carrick’s side, according to a report. Man Utd have a deal in place with Chelsea for Andrey Santos, who will switch from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford in a £50million deal. The Red Devils, who will play in the Champions League next season under manager Carrick, were also planning to sign Ederson Silva. Man Utd had long agreed on a deal with Atalanta for Ederson, who had undergone the first part of his medical before the start of the 2026 World Cup. However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd have decided to pull the plug on a deal for Ederson. The Red Devils reportedly had concerns about the Brazil international defensive midfielder during the second part of his medical. Ederson Silva to Man Utd is off Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Now we can say that Atalanta received a formal communication about the Ederson deal being off. “So, Ederson to Man Utd is NOT happening. “The communication has reached Atalanta today, the message coming from Atalanta is very clear. “The message coming from Atalanta is they got a communication that the deal for Ederson is off, it’s not happening. “But Atalanta also insist that according to them, Ederson is 100 per cent fit, ready to play football, as he was with Brazil at the World Cup. “Atalanta are now more than happy to welcome Ederson back, to have the player at the club. “One year left on his contract, so that’s a point. “But at the same time, Atalanta are convinced Ederson is fit, ready to play football, and doesn’t have any big medical or physical problem. “On the other side, Man Utd wanted to do extra medical checks on the player, and they decided after several sessions of medical tests that Ederson’s transfer has to be called off. “So, the Ederson transfer is not happening.” This means that Man Utd are still looking to sign two more midfielders to follow Santos to Old Trafford. Three-man Man Utd midfield shortlist emerges According to AS journalist Eduardo Burgos, Man Utd have now placed Manu Kone, Alex Scott and Ayyoub Bouaddi on their shortlist. AS Roma star Kone is starring for France at the ongoing 2026 World Cup, while Lille midfielder Bouaddi was superb for Morocco at the same tournament. Bournemouth star Scott is one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League. While AS Roma are willing to sell Kone, Bournemouth do not want to sell Scott. As for Bouaddi, Lille are ready to sell the 18-year-old midfielder this summer, but they want him to stay on loan for next season. Burgos wrote on X at 7:37pm on July 11: “With the signing of Andrey Santos finalized and the arrival of Éderson ruled out, Manchester United still anticipates the addition of two other midfielders. “On the list: “Manu Kone: Roma wants to boost his value at the World Cup. “Alex Scott: the one coveted for his age and potential, though his cost will be high. “Ayyoub Bouaddi: they’ve been following him since the start of the season and at the World Cup.”