Man Utd pursuing Championship duo as third and fourth summer additions take shape

Manchester United are plotting a double swoop into the Championship as Michael Carrick's rebuild gathers momentum ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The Red Devils have already moved decisively in the market, with Atalanta midfielder Ederson's arrival merely awaiting board ratification, whilst Brazilian outfit Botafogo's Danilo is understood to have received a formal offer from Old Trafford.

Now, fresh targets have emerged from England's second tier. United are weighing up moves for Southampton's Shea Charles and Leicester's Ben Nelson, the latter soon to find himself competing in League One following the Foxes' drop down the divisions.

Charles, the defensive midfielder who tasted disappointment with Saints in the promotion race following the Spygate controversy, carries a £25million valuation. The former Manchester City prospect was brought into Southampton's ranks by Jason Wilcox, now United's chief executive, and was previously earmarked as a player destined for elite-level football.

Nelson, aged 22, has also caught the club's eye despite—or perhaps because of—Leicester's recent descent through the leagues.

Carrick's squad overhaul has been made considerably more straightforward by Champions League qualification secured during his interim spell in charge, which earned him the permanent position. The financial windfall from European football, coupled with the removal of significant wage commitments from figures including Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford, has furnished United with fresh resources to operate.

Speaking on the transfer window, Carrick acknowledged the ongoing requirements: "I think the beauty of the next transfer window for everybody, it's always the biggest thing in the world, and the most important transfer window of all time for every club, I think.

"That's just the nature of how it's been created, to be honest. And I think, again, as a football club, you want to keep moving forward.

"We certainly do as a football club, want to keep moving forward. So, I think it's acknowledged we're at this stage and the dynamics and the balance of the direction we're at, where we've ended up getting to and finishing in the league.

"And there's obviously work to do. I know it's quite obvious, there's certain players leaving, that there's a bit of work to do.

"It's not any more important, this one, than the last one, or it's what's ahead of us as a football club to try and make the most of."