If Manchester United get Sesko across the line, then that for me leaves very little that needs to be done with the forward line for a few years at least.
Mbeumo (26), Cunha (26), Sesko (22) as our first choice. With players like Mount (27), Zirkzee (23), Bruno (30), Amad (22), and Obi (17) all there as back up.
I actually think if Mount can stay fit he will have an excellent season for us. Amorim’s system is pretty similar to the one Mount excelled in at Chelsea winning back to back player of the year awards getting double digits in both goals and assists. With less games and plenty of rotation options Mount should have plenty of recovery time to help avoid injuries.
The focus once Sesko has signed needs to be on midfield. Baleba would be a phenomenal signing, and probably would in truth be the statement signing of the summer. Signing one of the best midfielders in the league who can be first choice for 8-10 years. If Mainoo can develop into the player his potential suggests then that’s our first choice midfield going forward.
While Ugarte offers a good back up/ rotation option, Sekou Kone is highly thought of. While the likes of Bruno and Casemiro will add experience for the next season or two. Baleba goes a long way to solving our midfield for both the short and long term. We probably would still need to bring in another midfielder over the next couple of years to add more strength in depth depending on how some of the younger players develop. But it’s a tweak not a full rebuild.
That then leaves defence that looks like it needs the most work, yet we probably already have the core of our defence. Yoro and Heaven look like they will be the bedrock of our defence for the next decade. And we actually have a good group of squad options to offer cover and some experience. Maguire, MdL, Martinez and Mazraoui have a wealth of experience and are all capable players, especially in a back three.
I think over the next 2-3 summers we will need to bring in a couple more central defenders who offer more quality and fit our needs better. Someone who is a leader, aerially dominant, comfortable on the ball, while being quick and mobile to play in the middle between Yoro and Heaven would be perfect. Who that is who knows. A younger slightly less experienced option who I think we should keep an eye on is Antonio Silva at Benfica. Ideally you want someone a few years older, but he has shown great leadership despite his young age (21).
At wingback is where I’m least sure about what will happen long term. I think Dalot and Amad offer a good balance at RWB. Amorim’s preference has always been to have his wingbacks be more natural wingers. Quenda, Catamo, Nuno Santos and Arujo were his most used wingbacks at Sporting, with only Arujo having ever played professionally at fullback before Amorim played him at wingback. The other three had been wingers their entire careers up to that point.
So while I get the skepticism over Amad being a wingback long term, I wouldn’t be surprised if that is Amorim’s thinking with him. There is talk of Bendito Mantato coming up through the academy and being groomed to be a RWB for the first team despite him typically being a winger for the majority of his youth career. He is supposedly someone Amorim has taken a keen interest in from the academy.
The wingback role is very specialised, and older players can struggle to adapt to it as they have normally been more focused as either an attacking player such as a winger, or a more defensive player as a fullback previously. Meaning they fall into old habits. That can make it very difficult to buy the right players as they are typically not regularly playing as a wingback so it’s hard to scout whether they can play that role. It’s always going to be more of a gamble.
That is why I think we will focus on either signing very young players who should find it easier to adapt as they aren’t as set in their ways, or bringing up academy players into the role.
We have seen this with the club signing Dorgu (20) and Diego Leon (18) as the only attempt so far at signing players for the wingback positions despite it being so vital to the system. The only other player we have shown any interest in signing for the wingback position was Quenda who is both very young and has experience at playing that role for Amorim.
I suspect we won’t sign any players for wingback either this summer or next as we work on developing the young options we currently have (Amad, Dorgu, Leon, Amass, Mantato and possibly Kamason) . Only if they are looking like they won’t be good enough will we probably look to sign one and even then I’d expect it to be a very young player or less likely a player who is either playing that role currently or has played it under Amorim. That said we have been linked with Semenyo who while a winger typically at Bournemouth I think he’d be played as a wingback under Amorim.
That just leaves the keeper. The rumours at the club is Amorim and his coaches feel that Onana could be good enough, but they appreciate that he has to rebuild his form. The thinking supposedly is that they feel he has the mentality to do so. This season I think will be his last chance to show whether he can step up and do it. Personally I’m skeptical, but will trust in the coaching staffs judgement.
The issue is that neither Bayindir or Heaton really offer enough competition for Onana meaning that even when he’s struggling its difficult to drop him. Ideally they would like to shift Bayindir this summer and bring in a better challenger for the No.1 spot. Senne Lammens is highly regarded as someone who could come in and learn a little while also challenging Onana. Yet is still a player with enough potential to become the long term No. 1.
I think if we can shift Bayindir then we will sign Lammens. If not then next summer if Onana doesn’t improve dramatically this year then I expect we’ll see him sold and a top class, experienced keeper signed as his replacement. Diego Costa at Porto is someone the club have been following for a long time. He’s too expensive this summer and they don’t really want to sign a strong rival to Onana this summer as it would likely just create tension and destabilise the position.
If we can get Sesko and Baleba this summer, then that just leaves a keeper, and one or two CB’s next summer as the priority signings.
With maybe another midfielder, forward and wingback needed at some point depending on how the current young players at the club develop.
It certainly looks like they are serious about trying to rebuild the squad in time for a serious title challenge in the 2027/ 28 season. Half the rebuild done this summer, the second half next summer then a season to bed them all in and to sign one or two final touches/ tweaks ahead of the 2027/ 28 season. In the meantime a strong focus on developing the young players we have at the club into the players we need for long term.
We have seen this in the way the club are far more selective over the youth players we are keeping and developing. Moving on the likes of Garnacho despite his talent because he doesn’t fit the plan either as a player or as a personality. While bringing in young players like Heaven, Kone, Obi, and Leon to develop, and signings like Dorgu, Sesko and possibly Baleba.
Exciting times.