David Ornstein reveals three signings Ten Hag could make after agreement for Branthwaite

Manchester United are hoping to make four significant additions to their squad this summer, The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed.

With the club deciding to stick with Erik ten Hag at the helm and the transfer window now open, the Old Trafford outfit has already begun making moves in the transfer market.

As per recent reports, United have already ‘agreed personal terms’ with the representatives of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. They are yet to open negotiations with Everton, who seem to be holding out for a £70m fee for the young centre-back.

But Branthwaite is just the first on United’s list, with more pursuits seemingly in the pipeline in the weeks to come.

Ornstein sheds light on Manchester United’s summer plans, budget and more

Speaking on The Athletic FC podcast, journalist David Ornstein—who many consider to be more reliable than even Fabrizio Romano—provided some inside information on Manchester United’s plans for the 2024 summer window.

Starting with the positions United are looking at, he stated: “They want a centre-back, they want a midfielder, they want a striker. There may be a need for a left-back. So there’s work to be done, and now comes the moment where they need to crack on with that.”

Then elaborating on the specific players on United’s radar, Ornstein added: “We know they like Branthwaite. They wanted [Benjamin] Sesko, but, obviously, they were probably never at the front of the queue for him and he’s now staying at Leipzig, so they’ll have to look elsewhere.”

However, pursuit for any talented footballer could be an issue for the Red Devils this summer, given their limited finances.

Ornstein continued: “Going forward, from everything we hear, they’ll want to put a much more diligent process in place to try and ensure that United make good value for money signings. I suspect they’ll be looking towards the young bracket and lower fees.

“I think our colleague, Laurie Whitwell, has reported about agents being aware that it’s sort of a £50 million budget, unless there are sales to bring it higher. I’ve heard similar figures, or maybe even a bit lower. But the big question there is potential sales.”