Manchester United are in the market for midfielders this summer and two stars of Championship sides have emerged on their radar.
The Red Devils were looking to buy a new central midfielder last year but failed to do so, now with the imminent exit of Casemiro they are in great need of strengthening.
Club legend Gary Neville said recently that Manchester United should be looking to make five or six signings this summer, with two central midfielders and a centre-back ‘absolute unequivocals’.
A range of names have been mentioned, including some very expensive options like Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, while Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali would not come cheap either.
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The Red Devils are likely to make one big ticket signing in central midfield, but they are also looking at cheaper options and two names in the Championship stand out.
The Athletic report that Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Southampton’s Shea Charles are both being considered by decision-makers at Old Trafford.
23-year-old Hackney was named Championship Player of the Season last month and could still be a Premier League player with Middlesbrough after they were reinstated into the play-offs.
Boro were beaten in the Championship play-off semi-finals by Southampton but will now face Hull in Saturday’s final after the Saints were thrown out over Spygate.
Hackney’s contract at Middlesbrough expires in 2027, so if Boro fail to be promoted he will very likely be sold this summer
However, if they do go up they will hope to keep hold of their captain, who has already played over 150 games for the club and became a regular in the team under Michael Carrick’s management.
Manchester United are not the only team tracking Hackney, with Sky Sports reporting last month that Tottenham, Leeds and Everton are all keen on him.
22-year-old Charles came through the Manchester City academy and made one Premier League appearance under Pep Guardiola before leaving for Southampton in July 2023.
He has spent two seasons in the Championship as a regular with the Saints and one on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, also racking up 32 Northern Ireland caps.
Charles is also only under contract until 2027 and with Southampton definitely in the Championship next season, they may well look to sell this summer if a decent bid comes in.
Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox knows Charles well, as he worked with him at Manchester City’s academy and then brought him to Southampton when he moved to the south coast.
Both Hackney and Charles would need time to develop into Premier League players, but could be seen as good squad options if a first team starter is signed to replace Casemiro.
The Red Devils are casting their net wide as they look for new midfielders, with Atalanta’s Ederson, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni all also touted as possible signings.