• Add-ons being discussed after forward’s initial fee agreed

• United coach Amorim also interested in signing a No 9

Manchester United are close to finalising a deal for Bryan Mbeumo worth more than £60m that would make the Brentford forward Ruben Amorim’s second major signing of the summer after Matheus Cunha.

The initial fee is understood to be agreed, with the clubs discussing add-ons that may take the overall deal close to Brentford’s £65m valuation. It would take United’s spending to about £125m after they paid Cunha’s £62.5m release clause to buy him from Wolves.

• Manchester United player’s versatility an asset

• Flick believes Rashford would enhance his options

Barcelona are eyeing a loan move for Marcus Rashford, with the 27-year-old’s flexibility across the frontline viewed as an asset.

Barcelona’s No 1 target is Nico ­Williams but even if the Athletic ­Bilbao wide player is signed, Hansi Flick believes the Manchester United forward would enhance his options.

• London club want £65m for Cameroon forward

• Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku another option

Manchester United have made an improved offer of £60m to Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo, with the west London club holding out for an overall deal of £65m.

Brentford value the 25-year-old in the same bracket as Matheus Cunha, for whom United were willing to pay a £62.5m release clause from Wolves. As the Cameroon international is younger than the 26-year-old Brazilian they are holding out for a fee that, with add-ons, is worth more – around £65m.

• Manchester United forward talks up 17-year-old

• Barça also retain interest in Nico Williams

The dream destination for Marcus Rashford after his exit from Manchester United appears to be Barcelona after he declared an interest in playing alongside Lamine Yamal.

An interview with Spanish YouTuber Javi Ruiz revealed something of the 27-year-old’s thoughts on his future. Asked if he would like to be teammates with Lamine Yamal, Rashford said: “Yes, for sure. Everyone wants to play with the best. Hopefully … we’ll see.” Barcelona’s sporting director Deco told Catalan radio station RAC1 in May that the club “like” Rashford.

• Onana was dropped by Ruben Amorim last season

• Monaco also monitoring Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic

Monaco have shortlisted André Onana as a potential signing this summer but the goalkeeper is intent on staying at Manchester United and proving his worth to Ruben Amorim next season.

The Ligue 1 club are admirers of the 29-year-old and are also thought to be monitoring Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic. Onana, however, is keen to remain at United despite his patchy form at the club.

The young Eintracht Frankfurt striker has rough edges but he may be the best value goalscorer on the market

By WhoScored

Alexander Isak is a man in demand this summer. Liverpool and Arsenal have been linked with the Swede. It would take a monumental bid to convince Newcastle to sell their prized asset, and for good reason. Isak scored 23 goals in the Premier League in the season just finished; only Mohamed Salah (29) scored more.

With few, if any, clubs prepared to match Newcastle’s reported £150m asking price, those keen on Isak could do worse than make a move for a striker whose style is eerily similar to that of the Sweden international. An Isak-lite, if you will. Hugo Ekitike is hot property on the forward market after he enjoyed a fine campaign for Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 15 times and providing eight assists.

• United announce members’ prices of up to £97 for a seat

• Everton to take United’s Nick Cox as technical director

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (Must) has described the club raising ticket prices to “eye-watering” levels as a “kick in the teeth” after it was announced it will cost up to £97 to attend Premier League matches at Old Trafford.

United have a new four-category system, increasing the cost of tickets for the most in-demand matches. Fixtures against Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham will be placed in category A, where prices range from £59 to £97.

• Thomas Frank’s Spurs start at home to Burnley

• Sunderland face West Ham, Leeds host Everton

• Check out the full Premier League season fixtures

Liverpool begin the defence of their Premier League title with a home game against Bournemouth on an opening weekend of the 2025-26 season that sees Manchester United host Arsenal.

Arne Slot’s champions, who are likely to contain the £100m signing Florian Wirtz, kickstart the new campaign at Anfield on Friday 15 August. The following day sees Thomas Frank’s Tottenham take on newly promoted Burnley, with Scott Parker’s side handed a daunting opening set of fixtures on their return to the top flight. After the visit to Spurs come trips to both Manchester clubs and Aston Villa, as well as the visit of Liverpool to Turf Moor, all by early October.

• CEO sticking to timetable after trophyless season

• Men finished 15th and women were 16 points off top

Manchester United’s chief executive, Omar Berrada, remains confident the club can win the men’s and women’s league titles by their 150th anniversary in 2028.

Berrada, who told staff of his “Project 150” vision last September, knows that represents a significant challenge with the men having just endured a worst top-flight season since relegation in 1973-74 and Chelsea continuing to dominate the Women’s Super League.

• Bournemouth sign France left-back Adrien Truffert

• Leeds fear Newcastle or Milan may hijack Bijol transfer

Manchester United are monitoring Eintracht Frankfurt’s No 9, Hugo Ekitike, as a potential recruit to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s options in the position.

The Frenchman is of interest to the head coach after United’s hopes of signing one of his prime targets, Viktor Gyökeres, receded due to the Swede expressing a preference to move to Arsenal.

• Forward lost to United in Europa League while at Lyon

• Frenchman inspired by Rodri to win Ballon d’Or

Rayan Cherki has said he is waiting for Manchester City to play Manchester United next season so he can “kill” his new team’s fierce rivals.

Cherki was part of the Lyon team that endured a 7-6 aggregate defeat by United in the Europa League quarter-finals this past season, the 21-year-old making a rude gesture towards the home fans after scoring at Old Trafford to give Lyon a 5-4 lead.

• Sporting striker wants to play in Champions League

• Mikel Arteta thought to prefer Benjamin Sesko

Manchester United’s pursuit of Viktor Gyökeres appears doomed after the Sporting striker said signing for Arsenal would be a “dream”. United held exploratory discussions about buying the 27-year-old, with Ruben Amorim intent on strengthening the position. But it is understood the player’s representatives have told United he does not wish to join the club.

Instead Gyökeres is understood to view Arsenal as his preferred option since they will play in the Champions League next season.

• Brazil forward, a childhood United fan, joins from Wolves

• Jason Wilcox hails ‘exciting and productive’ signing

Manchester United have completed the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves, with the forward intent on helping the club “back to the top”. The 26-year-old has a five-year contract with the option of a further year and will be paid about £150,000 a week.

Cunha said: “It is hard to put into words my feelings about becoming a Manchester United player. Ever since I was a child in Brazil watching Premier League games on TV at my grandmother’s house, United was my favourite English team and I dreamed of wearing the red shirt.

Signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are leaps of faith, as is hoping Ruben Amorim can solve all the problems

In publicly rejecting the overtures of the Saudi Pro League, Bruno Fernandes has made it clear he wants to continue playing football at the highest level. That he wants to challenge for trophies. That he has no interest in wasting what remains of his peak years jogging around aimlessly in the service of a vast public relations project, providing lucrative content for a cruel and heartless regime. Despite all this, he’s more than happy to remain at Manchester United for now.

There were other angles to this decision. In a sense, Al-Hilal’s courtship of Fernandes represented a kind of catch-22 for United, desperate to reinforce their underperforming squad while remaining compliant with profitability and sustainability rules. Only a player who truly loved United could contemplate leaving in order to help balance the books. But in signalling his willingness to leave, Fernandes merely demonstrated why United could not possibly let him go.

• Midfielder still basking in glow of Napoli title

• Scotland captain says teammate on ‘a whole new level’

Andy Robertson believes his Scotland teammate Scott McTominay has revelled in demonstrating the error of Manchester United’s ways by flourishing at Napoli.

McTominay’s dream debut season in Naples included a Serie A title and being named the league’s most valuable player. United have been widely castigated for letting the 28-year-old leave his boyhood club for £25m last summer.

• Jim Ratcliffe planning further shake-up at Old Trafford

• Brailsford will take up old role as Ineos sporting director

Sir Dave Brailsford is to reduce his role at Manchester United under a reshuffle being planned by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Brailsford has played a major part since Ratcliffe secured his stake in United in February 2024, stepping down as team principal of the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team to take charge of footballing operations at Old Trafford and investing considerable time and energy in driving change at the club.

Winger flickered during his time at Stamford Bridge but failed to provide consistency and Maresca is thinking bigger

The best way to respond to Chelsea having to pay a £5m penalty fee because of their failure to meet a £25m obligation to buy Jadon Sancho from Manchester United is with a shrug.

There is no tale of excess, no evidence of scattergun thinking from the recruitment team at Stamford Bridge, no stick with which to beat Todd Boehly. In fact it is not even much of a punishment. A penalty clause is one way of framing it; another is that it is the equivalent of a standard loan fee and that all Chelsea are doing is making a delayed payment after not being asked for one when the deal to borrow Sancho went through on the final day of last summer’s transfer window.

• Manchester United captain spoke with Al-Hilal president

• ‘Ruben Amorim really tried to talk me out of it’

Manchester United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, has confirmed he has turned down a money-spinning move to Saudi Arabia because he wants to “stay at the highest level”. The 30-year-old midfielder has been the subject of speculation linking him with a £100m switch to Al-Hilal, with the Saudi Pro League side reportedly prepared to pay him £700,000 per week.

However, Fernandes confirmed he had rejected the chance to move after speaking to Ruben Amorim and his own family. “The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there,” Fernandes said, according to the Portuguese news outlet O Jogo. “I had to wait a while to think about the future. As I’ve always said, I would be willing to do it if United thought it was best to move on.

Despite all BBC TV’s at one time extensive coverage of sport, I doubt whether many people thought of Alan Yentob as a sports fan.

However, when both of us were in the weekly BBC programme review meeting I praised a film marking the 40th anniversary of the Munich air disaster of 1958. In it, 23 people died, including eight Manchester United players. Alan had also liked the film, saying it was good to see the BBC treating the subject with due respect.

• Club keen on Brentford forward after Liam Delap blow

• Fernandes rejects move to Al-Hilal of Saudi Pro League

Manchester United will explore a deal for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo after missing out on Liam Delap and have been boosted by Bruno Fernandes rejecting a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Ruben Amorim had said he thought Fernandes would stay despite interest from Al-Hilal. Provided the playmaker does not receive an offer from a leading European club that he wants to pursue, that settles the captain’s future.