Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni have made it onto Manchester United's shortlist.

United are fairly confident they can raise to £100 million through player sales this summer to support their squad rebuild and maintain momentum in their effort to climb back to the top.

The plan includes offloading at least five players: Marcus Rashford, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Manuel Ugarte, and Joshua Zirkzee, with Casemiro's free-agent departure easing the burden of his hefty £350,000-a-week wages.

After a strong summer last year, when United brought in key players like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Sesko, and Senne Lammens, the club’s football executives are keen to build further with some carefully considered signings.

Central midfield is the priority this time around, with Anderson from Nottingham Forest and Tchouameni from Real Madrid being closely evaluated before any formal bids are considered.

However, chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox, and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell understand that nailing down their top targets hinges heavily on how much they can generate from player sales as part of the ongoing squad overhaul.

With Champions League football almost secured after the recent 1-0 win at Chelsea, United becomes a more appealing destination for prospective signings. The extra revenue estimated between £50m and £60m coming from participation in Europe’s premier club competition is a substantial boost to their recruitment resources.

Still, getting the best possible transfer fees when selling players remains critical. This has been a weak spot for United in recent years, a fact the club’s leadership openly admits needs to improve.

In the last decade, United ranked only ninth among English clubs in transfer income. Although last summer’s £40 million sale of Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea turned out to be a savvy move, Antony’s case highlights room for progress: bought for an exaggerated £86 million and sold to Real Betis for just £21.65 million.

There’s also an agreement with Barcelona giving them the option to buy Rashford this summer for £26 million after his season-long loan ends, with a deadline of June 15 to activate the deal.

Given Rashford’s limited starts for Barca recently, the Spanish club may decide against making the move permanent, citing financial constraints and concerns over the 28-year-old’s long-term value, an outcome that could leave a significant gap in United’s summer transfer budget.

United appears ready to accept substantial financial hits on several players they’re looking to move. For example, Hojlund, signed from Atalanta for £72 million and currently on loan at Napoli, could be sold for around £38 million if Napoli qualifies for the Champions League.

Onana’s wages are also set to increase due to a clause triggered by United’s restored Champions League status, making his sale a priority. Currently on loan at Trabzonspor, where a salary reduction helped facilitate the deal initially, his return to European football could complicate finding a buyer.

Manuel Ugarte, signed for £50 million from Paris Saint-Germain, might be sold for roughly half that, and Joshua Zirkzee, who joined United for £36.5 million, now has a market value near £18 million.

Addressing past transfer missteps has been a recurring theme since INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe took charge of football operations. It’s likely to take a few more windows before United have a squad genuinely capable of challenging for the Premier League title, which they haven’t won since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

That’s why this summer’s transfer window is so important. Balancing sales and acquisitions decisively will be crucial to building on this season’s progress, regardless of who manages the team next year.

In straightforward terms, United need to get their incomings and outgoings right to assemble a squad that can seriously contest rivals like Manchester City and Arsenal next season.

Bruno Fernandes didn’t hide his anger on Saturday when a possible red card went unpunished during Manchester United’s 1-0 win against Chelsea. Thanks to Matheus Cunha’s goal in the first half, Michael Carrick’s team tightened their grip on a Champions League spot, grabbing all three points at Stamford Bridge.

Now, United sit 10 points ahead of Chelsea, who are sixth and chasing that final Champions League spot. With five games left, Carrick’s side only needs six more points to guarantee a return to Europe’s top competition, a stage they haven’t stepped on since 2023.

Still, Fernandes was frustrated with referee Michael Oliver’s decision in West London. At one point, Romeo Lavia seemed to stamp on him after a foul, and Fernandes made his feelings clear. Most folks would expect a red card for something like that, but Oliver didn’t even flash a yellow.

Honestly, it didn’t ruin United’s night. The mood’s good; Carrick has turned things around since taking over for Ruben Amorim in January. United have only lost twice in the league this year, and Champions League football looks almost nailed on at this point. But Fernandes isn’t celebrating just yet.

After the game, he spoke with TNT Sports: “It’s an amazing feeling for us. We had to bounce back – not just because of Leeds, but the two games before that, where we didn’t win. We knew we had to put in a big performance; Chelsea is a strong team. Getting three points is huge because our target is the top four, and this gives us some breathing room. I feel like we’re three points closer. We’ve got another key game coming up, and we know we need more points to finish the job. We’ll do everything we can to wrap it up soon.”

Individually, Fernandes is having a massive season. He’s just two assists shy of the Premier League record, with five matches to catch Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s joint record of 20. And the hunger’s still there.

He said, “I say this all the time: I want to do better than last season. I want to improve my whole game. Every week, I’m trying to get better because I want to finish my career at the very top.”