Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada has hinted that the club will again look to target players with Premier League experience in the transfer window after signing Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha from domestic rivals last summer.
United have made strengthening their midfield a priority ahead of next season and have already agreed a £35 million ($47m) deal with Atalanta for Brazil international Éderson.
The club are also exploring a deal for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes and are continuing to monitor left back Lewis Hall‘s situation at Newcastle.
And Berrada has suggested the success of Mbeumo and Cunha has convinced the recruitment team to look closely at players who have proven they can handle the Premier League.
“The template for what we did last summer will be replicated in many ways,” Berrada said on the club’s Inside Carrington podcast on Thursday.
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“You always go into a window and you don’t know how you’re going to come out of it. You have to be really prepared. You have to have a clear plan and know exactly what positions you’re looking to strengthen.
“We have a clear plan. I think what we saw last season is a good way forward for us, which is we want a mix of experience and youth.
“We want a mix of players who have demonstrated they can perform in the Premier League and perhaps also players who are doing very well outside the Premier League.
“We will always do it within our terms and ensuring that whatever decision we take is not just for the short term but also the long term.”
Alongside bringing in reinforcements to bolster the midfield, Berrada has said the club are keen to keep captain Bruno Fernandes this summer.
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The Portugal international was the subject of interest from Al Hilal last summer and has so far left the door open to a possible move away from Old Trafford after the World Cup.
“In Bruno we have a fantastic captain, absolutely fantastic,” Berrada said.
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“We’d like him to stay, of course we do. He’s had a great season on the pitch.
“More importantly, I think he’s shown to everybody that he’s a great leader. People don’t see what he does off the pitch. He represents the club really well. He understands the values of the club.”
United enjoyed a successful second half of the season under Michael Carrick to finish third in the Premier League and secure a return to the Champions League.
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Carrick has since been confirmed as permanent head coach, and Berrada insists he’s “optimistic” for the future.
“I am quite optimistic and I think we are in a very good position,” he said.
“We’re in a good place after a difficult period. We’re heading in the right direction, we have the right people in place.
“We have the right ingredients and right ecosystem around the club to put us in a position where I think we’ll be very successful.”
