Man Utd transfer Q&A: Latest on Rasmus Hojlund, Dean Henderson, Harry Maguire & Harry Kane

Manchester United announced their second summer signing on Thursday, as Andre Onana’s arrival from Inter Milan was confirmed.

Mason Mount has also been signed from Chelsea, in what has been a relatively slow start to the window for the Red Devils. There has also been a third arrival, of sorts, with Jonny Evans handed a short-term deal that covers pre-season, although United have not ruled out handing the 35-year-old a permanent contract.

Meanwhile, outgoings have been few and far between, with David de Gea the only senior player to depart so far. Zidane Iqbal has also left, as have youth-team players Bjorn Hardley, Ethan Laird and Ethan Galbraith.

But there will be plenty more business in the coming weeks and we’ve got the answers to all the biggest United transfer questions…

What’s United’s next transfer priority?

Erik ten Hag now wants to get a deal wrapped up for a centre-forward, following the signings of Mount and Onana. Rasmus Hojlund is the player who United have identified as their primary transfer target, with reports suggesting the club are readying an opening offer for the young Dane.

Personal terms are not believed to be an issue and the funds are available for the Red Devils, even if they’ll need to recoup some of that through sales at a later date. United do still plan to sign a midfielder in the window, with Sofyan Amrabat of interest and believed to be available on relatively favourable terms.

Is a move for Harry Kane off the table?

The Tottenham Hotspur striker remains United’s preferred choice up front, but Spurs’ asking price and the complexities of dealing with Daniel Levy mean United are not planning to make an offer for Kane. There is also a sense that any negotiations with Tottenham would be drawn out and infuriating, so any approach for Kane would come late in the window, albeit that looks unlikely at this stage.

The England captain would like to leave North London this summer and he has been linked with a switch to Bayern Munich.

Is anyone close to leaving?

United need to sell a significant number of players this summer in order to fund their new arrivals. Dean Henderson is the player closest to a departure at present, with the goalkeeper expected to join Nottingham Forest in the coming weeks, even though he has flown out to the USA with United for the club’s pre-season tour.

Fred is also expected to leave, there are several sides interested in Anthony Elanga, while Donny van de Beek admitted this week that he will ‘probably’ move on this window. In addition, United are open to selling Nathan Bishop, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams, Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial, in a huge overhaul of the squad.

What’s the latest with Harry Maguire?

The United centre-back is another player Ten Hag wants to get rid of and it’s difficult to see a way back for the 30-year-old after he had the captaincy stripped last week. There is significant interest from other Premier League clubs and it’s unlikely Maguire will be at United by the end of the summer, but for now there doesn’t seem to be a huge rush from anyone to get a deal wrapped up.

Chelsea and West Ham have expressed their interest in the England international, but it’s unlikely there will be any serious negotiations while the club are on their US tour.

Could Evans be handed a permanent deal?

The arrival of the Northern Irish defender took everyone by surprise this week, with Evans initially training at Carrington in an effort to rebuild his fitness levels ahead of the new season. But the 35-year-old impressed Ten Hag and the injuries to two defenders meant Evans was handed a short-term deal to help cover pre-season. 

There is every chance that is extended into the new season and United had initially hoped to sign a new centre-back before the window opened. That changed as the De Gea situation developed and the subsequent cost of Onana arose, but Evans could offer a free, reliable option as a back-up centre-back. Maguire’s situation will also impact the decision on Evans and the former’s departure would increase the chances of Evans being offered a longer deal.