According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have hatched a bold plan to secure their next two signings after landing Bryan Mbeumo.
So far this summer, Man Utd have made two signings as they have spent around £65m to land Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon.
In recent weeks, Ruben Amorim’s side has been focused on signing Mbeumo and their prolonged negotiation with Brentford has paid off this week, with an agreement struck on a deal worth an initial £65m plus £6m in add-ons.
United made Mbeumo a top target after he scored 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25, and like Cunha, he would be an upgrade on last season’s No.10 options and has reportedly had his medical on Saturday.
The arrival of Mbeumo would be a significant boost, but they need to remain in the market for more additions after finishing 15th in the Premier League and failing to win a trophy in 2024/25.
The two remaining priorities are to sign a striker and a goalkeeper as United require upgrades on Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund.
Romano has confirmed this, but he has revealed that they “don’t want to spend fresh money” on a goalkeeper as they intend to “save the money for a striker”.
Due to this, Romano claims Man Utd hoped to reach an agreement with Aston Villa over a “swap deal” for Emiliano Martinez.
“For Emi Martinez, the idea was to discuss a swap deal with Aston Villa,” Romano said.
“They don’t want to spend fresh money but instead save the money for a striker. At the moment, club-to-club talks haven’t started and Man Utd haven’t approached Villa. It’s not an easy topic.
“Man Utd know that Dibu Martinez is keen on a move to them. But it depends on what they want to do and, financially, what they can do.
“Outgoings are very important for Man Utd after spending money on Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo.”
Man Utd have also been linked with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson in recent weeks as it’s been suggested that he could leave following the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
However, Romano has indicated that the striker is “not a player for sale”.
“Man Utd have been informed about the situation of Nicolas Jackson,” Romano added.
“He’s not a player for sale because Chelsea are not desperate to sell him. If they get a good proposal, he could leave.
“At the moment, they’ve not started real conversation, so it’s still early stages of any discussion.
“They’re aware what’s going on and are waiting on outgoings, they’re still deciding what striker they want internally and then what happens with the goalkeeper.”
He continued: “We have to see what they will do with the goalkeeper: do they want a new one or a young goalkeeper for the future?
“Or maybe they want to sign an experienced goalkeeper because Emi Martinez keeps hoping for a call from Man Utd. He’s open to a move there.”